Israeli forces have conducted repeated airstrikes, artillery shelling, and limited ground incursions into villages on the immediate outskirts of Nabatieh (such as Nabatieh Fawqa, Kfar Tibnit, Mayfadoun, and Zawtar Sharqieh) while fortifying positions inside a declared buffer zone covering hundreds of square kilometers in southern Lebanon. These operations, including road-building, demolitions, and fire-zone expansion, align with Israeli statements signaling a multi-year presence short of full urban entry into the city itself. Earlier 2026 advances reached nearby strategic sites like Beaufort Castle but stopped short of the urban core amid a June framework agreement and Lebanese Army deployments. Ongoing Hezbollah rocket and drone responses, olive-harvest incidents, and U.S.-mediated talks on disarming militants and withdrawal timelines continue to shape trader assessments of near-term entry risks.