Israel strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon, deadliest attack since truce

Beirut,UPDATED: Aug 15, 2026 19:22 IST

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people on Saturday, in the deadliest attacks since a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on June 20. Lebanese authorities said seven people, including three children, were killed in a strike on a home on the edge of Ansar, while four others were killed in Deir al-Zahrani.

The strikes come weeks after Israel and the Lebanese government announced a framework agreement on June 26 for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in return for the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. The deal also sets out steps towards an eventual peace agreement between the two countries, which are still technically at war. Hezbollah was not part of the agreement and has refused direct talks.

Lebanon's Health Ministry and the state news agency said the strike on Ansar wounded two people, while the attack on Deir al-Zahrani wounded 17. Saturday's attacks were the deadliest since the truce began two months ago. On July 6, four people were killed in strikes on Nabatiyeh Fawqa. On June 19, a day before the truce took effect, Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 83 people and wounded 141, according to the health ministry.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticised the strikes, saying they intimidate "residents in their homes" and undermine efforts to stabilise the south. "The seven martyrs of the Israeli airstrike on the town of Ansar are not military infrastructure and the children and women killed were not military targets," Salam said in comments posted on X. He added that it is the job of the Lebanese state to deal with any military infrastructure in the country.

"Israel must halt this escalation," Salam said. He added that the security of the Lebanese people and their right to life on their land "are not subject to negotiation or bargaining." President Joseph Aoun said the strikes were "a clear message to the negotiation track and to the American efforts aimed at implementing this agreement."

Early on Saturday, intense Israeli airstrikes also hit the strategic Ali Taher hill, which overlooks parts of the southern city of Nabatiyeh and the main roads leading to it, according to the state news agency. Despite the truce, Israel's military has continued near-daily attacks in the area north of the Litani River, which has effectively served as a boundary, with large areas to the south under Israeli military control.

The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the areas of Ali Taher and Ansar in response to action against Israeli soldiers there. It said it would not allow Hezbollah to harm Israeli civilians or soldiers "and will continue to operate to remove threats." A Hezbollah official did not immediately respond when asked whether the group had carried out any attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah later called on the Lebanese state to find ways to halt "this aggression" instead of pursuing US-sponsored direct talks with Israel, saying that would amount to giving "free gifts for the enemy despite the crimes and aggression it is carrying out." The group added, "The American side is a partner of the Israeli enemy in its crimes and massacres," and said Israel must understand that "its acts of aggression, violations and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue" and would be met with an appropriate response by Hezbollah.

Earlier this month, two Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Lebanon, the first Israeli deaths since the shaky truce. Hezbollah did not comment on the blast. Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of talks, with the latest taking place in Rome earlier this month. Hezbollah has refused to disarm and has accused the Lebanese government of making too many concessions without securing an Israeli withdrawal.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets across the border two days after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, more than 4,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, while about 40 soldiers and three civilians, including a military contractor, have been killed on the Israeli side. Saturday's strikes have now added to that toll and further strained efforts to hold the truce.

With PTI Inputs

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