Israel destroys key bridge in southern Lebanon, stoking fears of 'ground invasion'

Israel destroys key bridge in southern Lebanon, stoking fears of 'ground invasion' Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 11:19 Qasmiyeh Bridge near Tyre rendered unusable after strike, as Israeli military says offensive 'has only begun' The damaged Qasmiyeh Bridge, located on a main highway linking villages in the Tyre district with others further north, following an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon on 22 March 2026 (AFP/Kawnat Haju) Off Israeli forces destroyed a key bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country on Sunday, and attacked homes near the southern border, an escalation Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned was a "prelude to ground invasion". The Israeli army appeared to destroy the Qasmiyeh Bridge near the city of Tyre, hours after the country's defence minister, Israel Katz, ordered all crossings over the Litani River and several homes close to the Israeli border to be destroyed. Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that three Israeli strikes "caused extensive damage" to the bridge and that it had been rendered "unusable".