Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on the outskirts of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, June 2, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
After Monday night's dramatic turn — marked by U.S. President Donald Trump's intervention urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel planned strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs — Israeli attacks continued across southern Lebanon, particularly in and around Nabatieh, where heavy bombardment killed several people.
Early Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli army renewed its call for residents to evacuate Nabatieh and launched at least three airstrikes on the city center.
Elsewhere in the district, an Israeli drone strike killed two people in Doueir, another person in Ebba and a fourth in Ansar. Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone strike wounded two Lebanese soldiers as they drove along the Habboush road, according to the Lebanese Army.
The latest casualties add to the toll from an Israeli strike near Jabal Amel Hospital in Sour overnight Sunday into Monday. The death toll from that attack rose to eight after one of the wounded died Tuesday.
Two other deadly Israeli strikes killed six members of two families in Marwanieh, in the Saida district, and three members of a family — a student, her father and her brother — near the Khardali Bridge as they returned from final exams in Beirut.
Israeli attacks also hit Nabatieh Fawqa, Kfar Sir, Kfar Tibnit, Kfar Roumman, Jibsheet, Yohmor al-Shaqif, Sharqieh and the outskirts of Shoukin and Mayfadoun. Artillery shelling targeted Arnoun, Shoukin and Kfar Joz.
In the Jezzine district, an Israeli strike destroyed a mosque near Mahmoudieh and Aishieh. Another strike destroyed the hussainieh in Sharqieh's main square and damaged nearby homes.
Many villages in the Sour, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun districts also came under attack.
Hezbollah reports clashes near Haddatha
Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks on northern Israel, saying instead that it carried out two operations overnight against Israeli troops advancing inside Lebanese territory.
Trump said Monday that Hezbollah had pledged to observe a cease-fire.
In two statements, Hezbollah said it launched rockets around 1 a.m. at Israeli soldiers and Merkava tanks near the Balouaa neighborhood and Haddatha Stadium in the Bint Jbeil district. Around 3 a.m., the group said it detonated explosive devices near Israeli military vehicles in the same area.
Hezbollah claimed the attacks forced Israeli troops to halt their advance and retreat toward nearby Rshaf.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, accused Hezbollah of continuing to violate the cease-fire announced by Trump.
"Despite the new announcements of a cease-fire yesterday, Hezbollah continues to violate it," Saar wrote on X, referring to what he described as missile and drone attacks from Lebanon against Israeli communities.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had received U.S. approval to strike Beirut's southern suburbs if Hezbollah attacks Israeli territory.
"The prime minister and I have established with the Israeli army an equation under which the fate of the southern suburb will be linked to that of northern Israeli communities," Katz said in a statement released by his office, adding, "If Israeli communities continue to be attacked, we will evacuate and strike this Shiite neighborhood, Hezbollah's stronghold."
Katz added that the United States had endorsed the principle and conveyed it to the Lebanese government and other parties.
"Either the attacks on communities stop, or we will strike Beirut's southern suburbs," he said.
