Israel asserts control over southern Lebanon; 82,000 civilian targets struck in Iran, Red Crescent says; Antibiotics, insulin scarce in Cuba

Drop Site Daily: March 24, 2026

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the assassination of our colleague, Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, in an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia. Shabat, 23, was a Gaza correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher and a contributor for Drop Site News. He filed his last story for Drop Site hours before he was killed. His brother, Wissam Shabat, also a journalist, wrote on Tuesday: “I lost you before my eyes, and I was helpless, unable to do anything. That moment still lives within me every single day. You were martyred for the sake of truth, because you spoke what had to be said and revealed what they tried to hide...You were a hero, and you will always be.”

Read more about Hossam and his coverage here.

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U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran unabated on Tuesday. Over 82,000 civilian targets struck in Iran. 466 people arrested in Iran for online activity. Iranian missile strikes hit Israel. Iranians form human chains around power plants. Missile and drone attacks disrupt power grid in Kuwait. Iran appoints Zolghadr to top security post after Larijani killing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signals openness to a deal. A quarter of Lebanon is displaced. Israel will control Lebanon south of the Litani River, Defense Minister Israel Katz asserts. Israeli cross-border raid in Lebanon leaves civilian dead, resident abducted. Israeli operations continue in Gaza. Palestinian detained at Rafah crossing as access remains uncertain. UN rapporteur alleges systematic torture in Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Collision at LaGuardia leaves two dead, dozens injured, airport shut down. Senate confirms Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead DHS amid prolonged shutdown. U.S. to pay TotalEnergies nearly $1B to abandon offshore wind projects. Pentagon tightens press access after court ruling on media restrictions. Pentagon guidance shaping satellite firms’ public language on Iran war: report. Medical shortages deepen in Cuba amid sanctions pressure. Airstrike hits PMF headquarters in Iraq, killing senior figures. Hungarian opposition leader alleges EU leaks to Russia as election tensions rise. Colombian military plane crash kills dozens after takeoff.

NEW from Drop Site: Iran rejects Trump claims of negotiations, outlines war conditions. Janet Mills faces voter backlash over attack ad against Graham Platner in Senate primary.

This is Drop Site Daily, our free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday.

Qasmiya Bridge in Lebanon after an Israeli airstrike on March 23, 2026. Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images.

War on Iran

• U.S.-Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iran: U.S.-Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iran on Tuesday with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) saying it is continuing to “aggressively strike” targets, while the Israeli military said it has “completed a wave of extensive strikes targeting production sites” without elaborating.

  • At least six people were killed in overnight attacks that destroyed several residential units in Tabriz, according to the Tasnim news agency.

  • At least six people were killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on a residential area of East Azerbaijan province, according to ISNA.

• Attacks on Iran unabated on Monday:

  • The U.S. and Israel continued their strikes on Tehran, with Israel saying it struck the IRGC’s main security headquarters in the city. Another strike killed electrical engineering professor Saeed Shamghadari and his children, along with other reported civilians. Presumably regarding this attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had recently “eliminated” additional nuclear scientists.

  • U.S.-Israeli strikes targeted energy and water-related infrastructure in Isfahan, Khorramshahr, and Bushehr, Iranian media reported Monday, damaging gas facilities, a power plant area, and a key desalination site amid existing water shortages. Iranian reports said a meteorological official was killed in Busheh.

  • Electrical engineering professor Saeed Shamghadari and his children were killed, Iranian media said, along with other reported civilian casualties in the building. The coordinated early-morning attacks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had recently “eliminated” additional nuclear scientists, signaling continued targeted operations.

  • New explosions and strikes were reported in Tabriz, in northwestern Iran.

  • A large explosion and fire were reported at an Iranian naval facility near Sirjan in southern Iran, with footage from BBC verifying the conflagration.

  • Iranian officials reported widespread damage to the country’s cultural heritage, with Tehran’s tourism chief. Ahmad Alavi, reporting that more than 120 registered historical sites across Iran have been damaged since the start of the war. He said 43 of those are in Tehran.

• Over 82,000 civilian targets struck in Iran: Over 82,000 civilian targets have been hit in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran since the start of the war, according to the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Pirhossein Kolivand:

  • Civilian targets included over 62,200 residential units and over 19,100 commercial units.

  • 275 healthcare and treatment centers and emergency service facilities have been targeted.

  • 498 healthcare and treatment centers and emergency services have been targeted.

  • 17 Red Crescent centers, three medical helicopters, and 48 ambulances and vehicles have been targeted.

  • 22 Red Crescent workers and medical staff have been killed.

• IRGC threatens Israel over continued attacks on Lebanon and Palestine: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that if Israel continued to carry out “continued crimes against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine” it would wage “heavy missile and drone attacks” at Israeli troops in northern Israel and the area near Gaza “without restraint,” according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.

• Iranian missile strikes hit Israel: Iran launched multiple barrages overnight into central Israel, with impacts reported in the Tel Aviv area that damaged buildings and vehicles, according to AP and Israeli media. Authorities said several people were lightly wounded, as emergency crews responded to multiple strike sites amid ongoing exchanges. Damage was also reported in Nesher and Nahariya, two cities in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon.

• Iran outlines its conditions for any U.S. deal, rejects Trump claims of negotiations: Iranian officials on Monday denied President Donald Trump’s assertion that “good and productive” talks were underway, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf calling the claims “fake news” and a senior Iranian official telling Drop Site that no direct negotiations are occurring beyond indirect messages via intermediaries. The official said Iran’s conditions for ending the war include a simultaneous ceasefire across Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq, and insisted Iran’s missile program and nuclear enrichment will continue. Asked about Trump’s reversal on his energy infrastructure threats, the official suggested the shift was aimed at managing fallout rather than changing course. “The fact that he publicly responds to [Iran’s position] by posting a tweet is solely intended to manage the financial markets—nothing more.” Read the latest from Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain here.

• Iranians form human chains around power plants: Residents in multiple Iranian cities formed human chains around major power facilities, a video shared by FARS News on Monday appears to show. The demonstrations follow President Donald Trump’s warning that the U.S. would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

• Missile and drone attacks disrupt power grid in Kuwait: Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water said Monday that falling shrapnel from intercepted missiles and drones knocked out seven transmission lines, causing outages in parts of the country. A second wave of attacks and interceptions followed with heavy explosions reported, as authorities work to assess damage and restore electricity. Also on Monday, sirens sounded nationwide in Bahrain in response to reported Iranian attacks on the country, and Saudi Arabia later also said it intercepted and destroyed four drones over its Eastern Province, with no casualties reported.

• Iran appoints Zolghadr to top security post after Larijani killing: Iran has named Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, replacing Ali Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 17. The appointment places a former IRGC brigadier general at the helm of Iran’s top national security body, where he will oversee the country’s defense, intelligence, and foreign policy.

• Netanyahu signals openness to a possible deal, if it meets Israeli goals: Netanyahu said Monday he spoke with President Donald Trump and suggested a potential agreement with Iran could “safeguard” Israel’s interests, even as Israeli forces continue strikes in Iran and Lebanon. “Just a few days ago, we eliminated two more nuclear scientists, and there is more to come,” Netanyahu threatened.

• 466 people arrested in Iran for online activity: Iranian police said they have arrested 466 people accused of online activity aimed at “creating internal instability,” according to the Tasnim news agency. The accusations include “spreading public fear, creating anxiety in society, undermining mental security, promoting the enemy and inciting or organising security-disrupting actors online.”

• WATCH: Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill speaks with Danny Davis about Iran’s stance toward negotiations with the United States.

Lebanon

• Casualty count: The death toll from Israel’s assault on Lebanon has risen to at least 1039, including 118 children, since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

• A quarter of the country is displaced: Over 1.16 million people in Lebanon—over a quarter of the population—have been displaced since Israel’s escalated offensive began on March 2, according to Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed. The country’s shelter capacity has also rapidly expanded to meet demand, though at the cost of the country’s education infrastructure, with more than 470 schools now turned into shelters.

• Israel will control Lebanon south of the Litani River, Katz asserts: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military will take control of south Lebanon all the way to the Litani river and that hundreds of thousands of residents would be barred from returning to their homes in the area indefinitely. Katz made the comments in a meeting with top Israeli defense officials, according to a statement released by his office. “The IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon with full force against Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who evacuated northward will not return south of the Litani River until security for the residents of the north is ensured,” he said. Katz added that Israel had blown up all bridges over the Litani River that he claimed Hezbollah had been using, and that the Israeli military would “control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani.” He also said the Israeli military will destroy homes and civilian infrastructure as it did in Gaza, implementing “the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models,” referring to two Gaza border towns that Israel completely razed. “The principle is clear: Where there is terror and missiles, there will be no homes and no residents, and the IDF is inside.”

• Israel’s strikes across Lebanon on Monday and early Tuesday:

  • At least three people were killed including a three-year-old girl in an Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment in Bchamoun, several miles southeast of Beirut, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

  • Four people were killed and four others injured by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the town of Selaa, according to the National News Agency.

  • The Israeli military announced it targeted a radio broadcasting station in the village of Al-Tiri in the governorate of Nabatieh while people were inside. No casualties have been reported yet.

  • Israeli air strikes destroyed the al-Dallafa bridge in the western Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera.

  • Three Lebanese civilians were killed following an Israeli airstrike on the village of Srifa in southern Lebanon, Quds News reported.

  • An Israeli airstrike in Aitit, north of Qana, targeted vehicles belonging to the al-Risala Scouts, a civil defense and emergency response group affiliated with the Amal Movement that assists with rescue and medical operations. One person was killed, and several rescuers were injured in the strike.

  • A separate Israeli strike hit Biyada, and at least two air strikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, local media reported.

  • Israeli airstrikes were also reported in multiple towns across the south, including Bint Jbeil, Adsheet in the Marjayoun district, and Mansouri and Haniyeh along the Tyre coast.

  • In Taybeh, near the border in Marjayoun, an Israeli army unit reportedly demolished several homes, according to L’Orient Today.

• Hezbollah responds: Hezbollah said it carried out a series of attacks on Israeli positions along the southern border throughout the afternoon, including repeated strikes on Metula and areas north of Kfar Yuval—both Israeli communities along the border—as well as Khirbet al-Manara opposite the Lebanese village of Houla, and on other Israeli military targets.

• Iranian diplomat expelled from Lebanon: Lebanon Foreign Affairs Minister Youssef Raggi ordered Iran’s ambassador to leave by March 29, declaring him persona non grata. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson told AP that Iran’s embassy will still have a charge d’affaires to head its diplomatic mission.

• Israeli cross-border raid in Lebanon leaves civilian dead, resident abducted: Israeli forces raided the southern Lebanese town of Halta, killing one civilian, injuring others, and abducting a resident before withdrawing, according to Al Manar, marking the second reported civilian abduction during the current war.

The Gaza Genocide, Israel, and the West Bank

• Casualty count: Over the last 24 hours, four Palestinians were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 72,263 killed, with 171,948 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 687 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,849, while 756 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

• Israeli attacks continue in Gaza: Israeli forces shot and wounded two Palestinians in Beit Lahia and Jabalia al-Balad in northern Gaza on Monday. Israeli naval forces also set a fishing boat on fire off the coast of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

• Detainees released, reports of abuse emerge: 11 Palestinians detainees were released from Israeli detention and transferred to a hospital in Deir al-Balah. The Israeli military also arrested and tortured a 1-and-a-half-year-old child, Kareem Abu Nassar, during an operation in central Gaza, according to family accounts shared in local media. While his father was detained and within his sight, the child was reportedly burned with cigarettes and pierced with a metal object. The abuse was reportedly used to extract a confession from the father, who remains in custody.

• Palestinian detained at Rafah crossing as access remains uncertain: Israeli forces arrested Mohammed Othman at a checkpoint on Sunday as he tried to return to Gaza via the Rafah crossing, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office. This marks the first reported detention since the crossing’s partial reopening. No patients were allowed to exit through Rafah on Monday.

• UN rapporteur alleges systematic torture by Israel in Gaza: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said on Monday that Israel has systematically used torture against Palestinians since October 2023, describing torture as a central tool in what she characterizes as a “genocidal” campaign, based on hundreds of testimonies documenting abuse in detention and daily life. Her latest report documents mass detention, sexual violence, starvation, and the targeting of professionals by the Israeli state against Palestinians. “Israel has effectively been given a license to torture Palestinians, because most of your governments, your ministers, have allowed it,” Albanese told the UN Human Rights Council.

United States

By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com.

• Collision at LaGuardia leaves two dead, dozens injured, airport shut down: An Air Canada Express plane struck a firefighting vehicle while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday evening, killing at least two people and injuring dozens, prompting a full closure of the airport and widespread flight diversions. Officials said most of the injured have been released as of Monday, though several people remain hospitalized.

• Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin to lead DHS amid prolonged shutdown: The Senate on Monday confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a 54–45 vote, as the agency’s shutdown entered its sixth week with no resolution in sight. Mullin’s appointment is unlikely to end the shutdown of the agency; Democrats are demanding restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol agents, and without them, the Senate is unlikely to reach the 60 votes necessary to end the shutdown.

• U.S. to pay TotalEnergies nearly $1B to abandon offshore wind projects: The Trump administration will pay the French energy company TotalEnergies about $928 million to relinquish its leases for two planned offshore wind farms off New York and North Carolina, redirecting the investment toward oil and gas projects in the United States, according to the Department of the Interior. Josh Stein, the Democratic Governor of North Carolina, criticized the policy. “Our state has the offshore wind potential to power millions of homes with renewable American-made energy,” he said. “It’s ludicrous and wasteful that the Trump Administration is spending $1 billion in taxpayer money to pay off a company to stop it from investing private dollars to create the clean energy we need.”

• Janet Mills faces voter backlash over attack ad against Graham Platner in Senate primary: Maine Governor Janet Mills encountered criticism from voters at a Hancock County Democratic meeting on March 19 over a campaign ad targeting primary rival Graham Platner, with attendees urging a more positive campaign and warning the attacks could be divisive. “Let’s have a positive campaign. I don’t think anyone should be attacking another Democrat, right before the primary, and using underhanded means and that kind of language,” one participant said. Mills defended the ad as an issue of “electability,” but recent polling shows Platner outperforming her against Republican Senator Susan Collins. Read the latest from Nathan Bernard for Drop Site here.

• Pentagon tightens press access after court ruling on media restrictions: The Defense Department said Monday it will move journalists out of the Pentagon and require escorts for access, while revising credentialing rules after a federal judge ruled parts of its previous policy unconstitutional in a case brought by The New York Times. The Pentagon plans to appeal the decision but says the new measures aim to comply with the ruling while maintaining security, as critics argue the changes continue to restrict press freedoms.

• Report alleges Pentagon guidance shaping satellite firms’ public language on Iran war: The Pentagon issued guidance to commercial satellite companies on how to describe imagery from the Iran war, advising against language that suggests definitive assessments of damage, according to a leaked U.S. Space Force document published by journalist Ken Klippenstein. The guidance, described as advisory but influential due to companies’ reliance on government contracts, is raising concerns about increasing control over publicly available information. (The satellite imagery company Planet Labs previously restricted satellite imagery covering Iran and nearby bases, citing concerns the images could be used by adversaries to target NATO-partner personnel and civilians.)

• NY-10 primary clash intensifies over PAC spending and outside influence: A heated Democratic primary in New York’s 10th District escalated Monday as challenger Brad Lander urged incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman to sign a “People’s Pledge” aimed at deterring outside PAC and dark money spending. The proposal reflects greater scrutiny on the millions in third-party spending now common in House races—particularly from pro-Israel and other well-funded groups. Read more from our friends at The Lever here.

Other International News

• Medical shortages deepen in Cuba amid sanctions pressure: Antibiotics, insulin, asthma inhalers, and basic painkillers are increasingly scarce in Cuba, with Bob Schwartz, head of Global Health Partners, telling CNN on Monday the country’s health system is “pretty much on life support” after years of tightening U.S. sanctions. Schwartz said shortages have sharply worsened in recent months—citing extreme gaps like a three-year wait for pacemakers—and argued that sanctions and Cuba’s terrorism designation restrict banking access and imports, calling the embargo “immoral” and unsustainable.

• Six killed in rocket attack on Peshmerga base in Erbil: At least six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed and 30 wounded in an attack on their base in Erbil in northern Iraq on Tuesday, according to Reuters. A statement from the Peshmerga forces blamed Iran for the strike.

• Airstrike hits PMF headquarters in Iraq, killing senior figures: Airstrikes on Monday struck a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in Iraq’s Anbar province during a meeting of senior commanders, killing at least 15 people, including operations commander Saad al-Baiji, and wounding dozens, according to Reuters. The PMF accused the United States of carrying out the strike and called it a breach of Iraqi sovereignty.

• Hungarian opposition leader alleges EU leaks to Russia as election tensions rise: Hungarian candidate Péter Magyar said Monday that reports of government officials sharing confidential EU information with Russia could amount to treason, as the European Commission called for clarification over the allegations. The claims, denied by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, come weeks before elections in which Magyar’s Tisza party is leading polls against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s long-ruling government.

• Colombian military plane crash kills dozens after takeoff: At least 66 people were killed Monday when a Colombian military C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying 125 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff near Puerto Leguizamo, with officials saying the impact triggered an explosion of onboard ammunition. Authorities said there was no indication of an attack. Dozens of injured were evacuated for treatment and rescue efforts continued in the remote jungle area.

• Italian voters reject judicial overhaul in blow to Meloni government: Italian voters on Monday rejected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposed judicial reforms in a referendum, with about 54 percent opposing the plan in a setback to her authority ahead of expected elections next year. While Meloni said she would continue governing, the result raises doubts about her political standing.

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