South Lebanon: Israeli strikes kill at least 5 in recent hours | LIVE

South Lebanon and West Bekaa: Fresh strikes and Hezbollah operations reported

• An Israeli strike targeted Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh) in the evening, while artillery fire simultaneously hit Srifa (Sour).
• Israeli missiles struck the Zalaya River area (West Bekaa), as well as Ain Zarqa and Qlayaa (Marjayoun).
• Hezbollah said it carried out two operations against Israeli forces: one at 8:30 p.m. near Beaufort Castle (Nabatieh), and another at 6:45 p.m. in Abbassieh (Sour).

Israeli strikes kill 8, injure 15 in Sohmor, Sour and Saida

The health ministry said an Israeli strike in Sohmor (West Bekaa) earlier in the day killed five people and wounded one.

A separate strike on a residential neighborhood in Sour killed three people and wounded seven, including three children.

Another attack in the Arab al-Jel area of Saida wounded seven people, including two children and four women.

Hezbollah denies involvement in UNIFIL targeting

Hezbollah on Thursday evening denied Israeli accusations that it targeted a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon position in Marjayoun, which left three wounded on Wednesday, including a Serbian soldier who later died.

“This Israeli accusation is a pure lie,” the group said, turning the blame on Israel, which it accused of opposing UNIFIL’s presence because it “remains a witness to its crimes and violations.” Hezbollah reaffirmed its support for the peacekeeping force and offered condolences for the fallen soldier.

Israeli soldier killed in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army said one of its soldiers was killed in southern Lebanon, marking its first loss since the announcement of a new cease-fire deal on Wednesday.

Captain Eitan Shmuel Lemberg, 21, “fell in combat,” the army said. A military source told AFP he was killed by a missile fired by Hezbollah at an Israeli tank.

Southern Lebanon: Israeli strikes kill at least 5 in recent hours

At least five people were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon in recent hours, according to our correspondent.

• An Israeli raid hit a residential building in a popular neighborhood of Sour around 7:30 p.m., killing three people and wounding two.
• At least two people were killed in a drone strike on a car in a UNIFIL parking area in Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil district).
• A drone strike targeted Qsaybeh (Nabatieh district).
• Artillery shelling hit Safad al-Batikh and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil district).
• More than ten Israeli missiles struck Rihane (Jezzine district).
• Additional strikes targeted Ain Qana in Iqlim al-Tuffah and the outskirts of Houmin al-Fawqa (Nabatieh district).

Hezbollah said it carried out an operation at 7:30 p.m. targeting a Merkava tank near Beaufort Castle.

Washington condemns 'outrageous' attack on Kuwait blamed on Iran

The United States on Thursday condemned “outrageous and unacceptable attacks” attributed to Iran, which targeted Kuwait International Airport and other areas of the country, killing one person and injuring around 60 others.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio “condemned the outrageous and unacceptable attacks carried out by Iran against Kuwait International Airport and other locations,” according to a statement released by his spokesperson, hours after a meeting in Washington with his Kuwaiti counterpart.

UN chief condemns killing of peacekeeper in Lebanon

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “condemned the killing” of a Serbian peacekeeper who died after mortar fire struck his base in southern Lebanon, his spokesperson said Thursday, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.

Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Secretary-General also renewed his call on all parties to respect the ceasefire announced on April 16.

The victim is the seventh peacekeeper from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) to be killed since Lebanon was drawn into renewed conflict in early March, following Hezbollah attacks on Israel in response to a joint Israeli-American offensive against Iran days earlier.

“All attacks against peacekeepers must be swiftly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable,” Dujarric said, adding that UNIFIL has already launched a preliminary investigation.

Based on initial findings, the position was struck by indirect fire originating from north of the Litani River, he noted.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continue across southern Lebanon, our correspondent reports:

• An Israeli airstrike targeted a neighborhood in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, in the Nabatieh district.
• Another hit the main road linking Ansar (Nabatieh) and Kawthariyet al-Rez (Saida) shortly after 7 p.m.
• Israeli artillery fire hit the area around al-Nemr citadel in Rihan (Jezzine).
• An Israeli airstrike targeted Braasheet (Bint Jbeil) at around 7:20 p.m.
• Israeli warplanes are flying intensively over the city of Saida.

Sohmor municipality blames authorities over displacement crisis, warns of unsafe shelter conditions

The municipality of Sohmor issued a statement holding Lebanon’s Disaster Risk Management body, along with the Bekaa governor, responsible for what it described as serious failures in managing the displacement crisis affecting the town.

The municipality said residents did not leave their homes voluntarily but were forced to flee repeated Israeli strikes, adding that the absence of adequate and safe shelters has left many civilians stranded either inside the town, on roadsides, or in exposed and unsafe areas.

According to the statement, today’s reported casualties in Sohmor raise “urgent questions about the effectiveness of evacuation and shelter coordination,” amid what it described as a lack of timely and practical solutions from the relevant authorities.

The municipality added that more than 140 residents are still awaiting secure shelter, criticizing proposals to relocate displaced families to centers located roughly 70 kilometers away as unrealistic under current conditions.

It called for immediate intervention by central and regional authorities to secure safe, accessible shelters and prevent further harm to civilians.

Israel launched seven strikes on the town, killing five people and injuring several others.

Hezbollah targets ‘newly established’ Israeli logistical support center in Yohmor al-Shaqif

Hezbollah said it targeted a newly established logistical support center allegedly belonging to the Israeli army on the outskirts of the town of Yohmar al-Shaqif (Nabatieh), with two “precision” drones.

Lebbaya municipality issues warning urging residents not to return amid ongoing Israeli strikes

The Municipality of Lebbaya (western Bekaa) issued a statement noting that “in light of ongoing targeting of civilians and public services — most recently an attack on telecommunications workers while they were at an official communications site — it strongly urges residents, particularly displaced families, not to return to the village at this time.”

It warned that returning or traveling to the area could pose serious risks to personal safety, property, and the security of the village.

Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling target Kafra, Toul, Touline, Arzoun, and Blat

*Israeli airstrikes targeted the towns of Kafra (Bint Jbeil), Toul, and Touline (Nabatieh)

*Artillery shelling targeted Arzoun (Sour) and Blat (Marjayoun)

Israeli strikes kill and wound several in Sour and Nabatieh districts

An Israeli drone strike on Qana, in the Sour district, killed one person identified as Hassan Moustafa Borji.

In Abbasieh, also in Sour, an Israeli strike hit the village cemetery, killing three people and wounding one.

Airstrikes also hit several villages in the Nabatieh district, including the Hamra area on the outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh, Arnoun, Adsheet, and the Ali Taher heights.

Hezbollah says it targeted Merkava tank near Beaufort Castle

Hezbollah said it struck an Israeli Merkava tank near Beaufort Castle “with appropriate weapons,” claiming the attack resulted in its destruction.

Iran: Revolutionary Guards tie cease-fire to Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that a cease-fire across all fronts, including Lebanon, is a preliminary condition to end the war with the United States, Reuters reported.

They added that “the region will never be stable without a full Israeli withdrawal from all occupied areas in Lebanon.”

IAEA report urges Iran to allow inspections to resume

The International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday circulated a report to member states, reiterating calls on Iran to urgently clarify the status of its enriched uranium following the bombing of its nuclear sites a year ago, and to allow the full resumption of inspections.

“The Director General stressed in his message to Iran that the effective implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement is essential and urgent […] and cannot under any circumstances be suspended by Iran,” the confidential report, seen by Reuters, said.

Beirut condemns attack on UNIFIL center near Marjayoun

Foreign Ministry condemned gunfire on Wednesday targeting a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon position near Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, which wounded three people, including a Serbian soldier who later died of his injuries.

“Attacks against peacekeepers, who carry out the noble mission of maintaining international peace and security, constitute a serious violation of international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 1701 (2006),” the statement said.

The ministry added it is awaiting the outcome of the investigation and expressed solidarity with UNIFIL.

Hezbollah rejects cease-fire deal with Israel, official tells AFP

Hezbollah has informed Lebanese authorities that it rejects the ceasefire agreement announced in Washington between Lebanon and Israel, a Hezbollah official told AFP on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The position, earlier announced by Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, was conveyed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the group, who “shares the same stance,” the official added.

President Joseph Aoun had earlier said he was awaiting the group’s response to the deal — which makes a cease-fire conditional on a “complete halt” of Hezbollah fire — before passing it on to the United States.

Salam: Negotiations with Israel 'best' option; 'let us work together under the authority of the state'

At the opening of a Cabinet session, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam defended the choice of negotiating with Israel, calling it “the fastest and least costly path for Lebanon and the Lebanese, as well as for the South and its residents.”

“Negotiation was not the only option available to us, but it was the best,” he said, noting that Lebanon could either have remained passive in a war it did not choose — “which was never considered” — or turned to the U.N. Security Council or international courts, risking years of delay and further losses.

Salam acknowledged that talks were difficult and faced “Israeli intransigence,” but reiterated Lebanon’s demands: a full Israeli withdrawal from its territory and the safe, dignified return of displaced residents. He added that Lebanon draws strength from its rights, Arab backing, international support, and U.S. understanding.

On disarmament south of the Litani River, Salam stressed this was not an externally imposed demand but a commitment Lebanon made under U.N. Resolution 1701 in 2006.

He also called for the principle of exclusive state control over weapons across all Lebanese territory, warning that Lebanon has already missed key opportunities to implement the Taif Agreement after Israel’s 2000 withdrawal and Syria’s 2005 withdrawal. “We cannot afford to miss it again,” he said.

Salam announced that the next step would involve deploying the Lebanese Army in “pilot areas,” saying this would not undermine the demand for full Israeli withdrawal but instead bring it closer.

He concluded by urging all parties to prioritize Lebanon’s national interest over external or partisan considerations, warning that those who obstruct progress would bear responsibility for the consequences “before history and the Lebanese people.”

Israeli airstrikes, drone strikes and artillery shelling target towns in Nabatieh, Jezzine, and Sour

• Israeli artillery shelling targeted Arnoun, Zawtar near the Scout Complex, as well as Mayfadoun and Shoukin. Airstrikes also struck Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh Fawqa, all in the Nabatieh district.
• An Israeli drone strike targeted the Rihan Forest (Jezzine), while an airstrike hit Adsheet, and another drone strike targeted Abbassieh (both in Sour)

US sources, tell LBCI, they reject Hezbollah chief's remarks, say they follow 'actions not words'

U.S. officials followed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's Thursday remarks rejecting the cease-fire in Lebanon and said they would rely on "actions not words," U.S. sources told LBCI.

"The agreement begins with de-escalation, which will lead to a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire," the sources told LBCI, adding that Israeli forces will begin withdrawing from a "pilot area" where the Lebanese armed forces will deploy.

"This agreement represents a last opportunity, and missing it will carry a heavy price for everyone," the sources said.

Israeli strikes continue on Sour and Nabatieh districts

• An airstrike between the towns of Rashkananiyeh and Siddiqin (Sour.)
• Artillery shelling targeting the towns of Majdal Zoun and Mansouri (both located in Sour.) Artillery shelling also targeted the town of Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh) with more than 15 artillery shells.

An Israeli strike targeting Qlayaa (western Bekaa.) (Courtesy of Sara Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

Provisional burial in Wardanieh for victims killed in Shehour Tuesday

(Courtesy of Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

Amal Movement held a funeral for the victims of the Israeli strikes on Shehour (Sour), who were killed in an attack on the town Tuesday. The killed are Ali Fadlallah Diab, paramedic Muhammad Qassem Lakkis, Ali Muhammad, Ali Nour al-Din Sharafeddine, and Hussein Abdul Ali Assaf.

The ceremony in Sour was attended by MP Ali Khreis and other Amal Movement officials and social figures.

The funeral procession moved from Sour city to Wardanieh (Chouf), where prayers were held before the provisional burial.

Israeli strikes destroy 16 houses in Tibnin today

• Israeli strikes on the southern village of Tibnin (Bint Jbeil) destroyed 16 houses, our correspondent in the south reported.
• Israeli airstrikes targeted the town of Siddiqin, while artillery shelling hit the town of Majdal Zoun (both in Sour).

Southern Lebanon still under Israeli bombardment

Over the past few hours, Israel has continued to bomb several areas in the South, according to reports from our correspondent in the region. These strikes targeted Maarakeh, Mansouri, Ramadieh, Qana (Sour), Kfar Tibnit, Jibsheet, and Mayfadoun (Nabatieh), Beit Yahoun, and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil).

Qassem calls for ‘comprehensive’ cease-fire in Lebanon and full Israeli withdrawal

Naim Qassem has also called for a "comprehensive" cease-fire in Lebanon. “Our sole objective is to put an end to the aggression, to secure a cease-fire and Israel’s withdrawal. This cease-fire must be comprehensive; there can be no separation between the South and the rest of Lebanon. As long as the occupation continues, the resistance [of Hezbollah] will continue,” he added.

“We thank Iran for helping us to reclaim our lands and restore our rights in the face of Israeli-U.S. aggression, despite its own major conflicts. Iran is working to establish a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon, as part of the cessation of hostilities in Iran,” he added.

Qassem condemns Washington agreement that 'amounts to a capitulation'

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has described the "cease-fire" agreement between Lebanon and Israel as “a declaration of intent aimed at sabotaging Lebanon, destabilizing it and sowing discord among the Lebanese people."

He also denounced “a fictitious cease-fire, interpreted as a cessation of hostilities by Hezbollah and an abandonment of the southern front by the resistance fighters, whilst the aggression continues under military pressure, [which] amounts to a capitulation, a defeat, and the fulfillment of the enemy’s objectives.”

“The outcome of these absurd, humiliating, and shameful direct negotiations for Lebanon is rejected outright by a large section of the Lebanese population,” said Qassem.

“The Washington statement sets out the fundamental principles that the United States and Israel envisage for Lebanon’s submission to the Greater Israel project. Making the disarmament of the resistance [Hezbollah] the starting point for any agreement amounts to destroying Lebanon’s power and constitutes an existential threat to the resistant people,” he added.

Israeli strikes target towns in Jezzine and Nabatieh districts

• Two Israeli drone strikes targeted Qatrani (Jezzine).
• Two Israeli airstrikes targeted Zawtar Gharbieh, one targeted Mayfadoun, and a drones strike targeted Ebba (all located in Nabatieh).

Israeli drone strike targets outskirts of Lebbaya in the western Bekaa

• An Israeli drone strike again targeted the outskirts of Lebbaya from the direction of Kfar Meshki (western Bekaa), our correspondent in the Bekaa reported. According to reports, an MTC team was near the telecommunications tower refueling diesel when they were targeted by a drone strike. Two injuries were reported and were transferred to the local square, awaiting the arrival of the Lebanese Army.
• The five people killed that we reported on earlier in the Sohmor (western Bekaa) strikes have been identified as: Ali Hammoud, Haidar Shamkha, Mohammad Abdullah, Hassan al-Khushen, and Ali Ayyad.

Qaani: Minimum requirement for Lebanon is return to pre-war borders

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Al-Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, has stated that the minimum demand regarding Lebanon is for Israel to withdraw to the positions it held before the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran launched on Feb. 28.

Israel currently occupies over 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory along its southern border, and has advanced beyond its imposed "buffer zone" in recent weeks. Prior to the war, Israeli had continued to occupied five positions on the heights of southern Lebanon, captured during the 2024 war.

Qaani added that Hezbollah fighters “would soon see the results of their resistance” and stated that “support for the resistance in Lebanon was a duty for all Muslims.”

Early indications of Israeli army withdrawal in Marjayoun district

A Lebanese Army engineering unit reopens roads in Debbine. (Photo courtesy of Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

A unit of the Lebanese Army, including an engineering regiment, has entered the town of Debbine and is currently working on securing and reopening the road connecting Debbine with Marjayoun and Ibl al-Saqi (all located in Marjayoun), our correspondent in southern Lebanon reported.

Israel carries out airstrike near Tibnin governmental hospital

Israeli strike on Harouf. (Photo courtesy of our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Two airstrikes targeted Tibnin, one of which was near the town’s government hospital, which Israel had threatened the previous day. The Israeli army had accused Hezbollah of taking control of the facility, a claim that was unanimously denied and condemned in Lebanon.

In addition, strikes targeted Kafra (Bint Jbeil), Harouf (Nabatieh) and Maarakeh (Sour).

Israeli forces reportedly withdrawing from Debbine

The mayor of Marjayoun, Sary Ghulmiyyah, told L’Orient Today’s correspondent in southern Lebanon that he received a phone call from the Israeli army informing him that the road between Marjayoun and Qlaya/Blat is open.

However, he urged residents not to use the road until an official statement is issued by the Lebanese Army Command. He also said he had informed the Lebanese Army about the matter, and that the army would take the appropriate measures regarding civilian movement.

Meanwhile, residents of Jdeidat Marjayoun reported seeing military vehicles leaving the town of Debbine (Marjayoun) and heading towards the Khiam road. Some sources suggested this movement may be part of an Israeli withdrawal from Debbine.

This morning, eyewitnesses from Jdeidat Marjayoun reported that Lebanese Army vehicles, including a bulldozer, are moving toward Debbine.

During the ongoing Israeli war on Lebanon, which escalated on March 2, Israeli armored units reportedly advanced under heavy tank and machine-gun fire toward Debbine.

Local military sources also stated that the Lebanese Armed Forces withdrew from joint checkpoints and from the axis connecting Khiam, Ibl al-Saqi, and Debbine as Israeli forces pushed into the area.

Israeli drone strike on vehicle in Doueir, Nabatieh

(Photo courtesy of Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

An Israeli strike targeted a car in Doueir (Nabatieh), our correspondent reported.

Israeli airstrike targets Hariss, drone strikes target Jibsheet and Kfar Joz

• An airstrike targeted the town of Hariss (Bint Jbeil).
• A drone strike targeted the town of Jibsheet, and two drone strikes targeted Kfar Joz (both located in Nabatieh).

Nine Israeli airstrikes recorded on western Bekaa, killing 5 people

• Nine Israeli airstrikes recorded on the Western Bekaa: seven strikes targeted the town of Sohmor, killing five people, one strike targeted Qalaya, and one struck the vicinity of the Qaraoun Dam, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported. The strike on the Qaraoun Dam injured one person.

Israeli strike on Qalaya, Bekaa, levels residential home

The targeted house in Qalaya, Bekaa. (Photo shared by our correspondent Sarah Abdallah)

The Israeli airstrike earlier today on Qalaya, Bekaa, completely leveled a residential home belonging to Sheikh Ali Abdallah.

Aoun: 'Cease-fire' with Israel 'could be implemented within 24 hours of final approval'

President Joseph Aoun stated that the "cease-fire" between Lebanon and Israel “could be implemented within 24 hours of its final approval.”

During a discussion with journalists, he added: “We are awaiting responses from all parties concerned, as well as guarantees of commitment to and implementation of the cease-fire."

“We have proposed that the ‘pilot zone,’ in an initial phase, should include the areas of Zawtar Gharbieh and Zawtar Sharqieh as well as Beaufort Castle,” all located in the district of Nabatieh, on the northern banks of the Litani River, revealed Aoun.

“Yesterday’s negotiations [Wednesday, in Washington] were very difficult and [after an interruption] resumed following the intervention of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” he said.

Preliminary toll following Israeli strikes on Sohmor: 1 person killed, four injured

At least one person has been killed and four others injured in a series of Israeli drone strikes on Sohmor, in the Western Bekaa, according to a preliminary toll obtained by our correspondent in the region.

Article: In the Christian area of Sour, a microcosm of war-torn Lebanon

Over the weekend, the ancient city came under heavy Israeli bombardment, including strikes near three hospitals. Abbas recently lost a relative. On Saturday, he watched the building across from his own collapse under an airstrike. He also recounts how an armed drone flew onto a friend’s balcony in search of its target.

"We wouldn’t be where we are today if Nasrallah were still alive," he says of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in September 2024 and whose name is tattooed on his body.

Pierre shoots back that he would be better off having it removed before "the Israelis roll into town."

They are about 15 kilometers away. Abbas shrugs off the remark. He says he is "ready to die defending" the city. He is neither a Hezbollah fighter nor even a party member, but insists on describing himself as "part of the resistance."

Read Caroline Hayek's full story here.

Dentist and his 2 children killed by Israel buried in Qlaya

Residents of the Christian-majority village of Qlaya, near the Israeli-declared "buffer zone" it now occupies, held the funeral on Wednesday for a dentist and his two children who were killed by an Israeli drone strike on their car on Monday.

The strike killed James Karam, his son Tony, and his daughter Theodosia, a student at the Lebanese University who was returning from exams in Beirut. The Israeli drone hit their car on the road linking Nabatieh to the Khardali bridge as they headed home to Qlaya, in the Marjayoun district.

Read more on the funeral here and on how Israel killed them here.

Israel continues to pound Sohmor with least 7 airstrikes reported

According to our correspondent, Israel continues to bomb Sohmor in the Western Bekaa, with at least seven air strikes targeting the village so far.

Western Bekaa: Israeli drones target Shomor 4 times

According to our correspondent, at least four Israeli strikes have been reported so far on Sohmor, in the Western Bekaa. These attacks, all carried out by drones, targeted three vehicles and a scooter in the center of the village.

UNIFIL peacekeeper killed near Marjayoun identified as Serbian national

The UNIFIL peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon was a Serbian national, the Serbian Ministry of Defense has announced, stating that he died “as a result of injuries caused by a missile strike on the U.N. base.”

Born in 1989, Staff Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic “received emergency medical treatment at a hospital within the base after being wounded, and was then airlifted by helicopter to the University Medical Center in Beirut, where he died at around 4 am local time,” the statement added.

Israeli air strikes on the Bekaa Valley

The Israeli attack on Qlaya. (Photo shared by our correspondent Sarah Abdallah)

Israel also carried out strikes on the western Bekaa, with an airstrike on Qalaya and a drone strike on Sohmor, according to our correspondent in the region.

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Israeli air strikes and artillery fire on several areas of southern Lebanon

Israel continued its attacks on southern Lebanon and carried out strikes on Braasheet (Bint Jbeil), whilst artillery fire simultaneously targeted the town, according to our correspondent in the region. Air strikes also targeted Kafra, in the same district.

In the Nabatieh region, Israel bombed Shoukin and targeted the Ali Taher heights, as well as the outskirts of Kfar Tibnit, with artillery fire.

Artillery shells also targeted Srifa (Sour).

Gaza medics report Israeli strikes kill 9 people in the Strip on Thursday

Israeli strikes killed at least nine Palestinians, including five family members, in separate attacks on the Gaza Strip on Thursday, health officials said.

Medics said Israeli planes launched strikes on four apartments around the same time before dawn on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 15 others.

One of the strikes killed five people in a single family, including the parents, medics said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on either of the incidents.

Footage showed a blasted out building with furniture inside damaged and burnt. Debris was scattered yards onto the road.

A video circulated on Palestinian social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed people going into one apartment set ablaze by an Israeli strike to try to recover bodies with blankets in their hands.

The cease-fire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza and left Israel in control of over half the enclave.

Read more here.

Report: Bint Jbeil, the epicenter of Israel's methodical depopulation and erasure of southern Lebanon

Once declared the "capital of resistance" by Hezbollah, Bint Jbeil — now largely occupied by Israel — has been destroyed to the point of rendering it uninhabitable and unrecognizable.

Read Gabriel Blondel's full report on the battle for Bint Jbeil here.

Mojtaba Khamenei accuses US and Israel of seeking to ‘divide’ nation

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has accused the United States and Israel, in a written statement, of seeking to "divide" the Iranian nation, after suffering a "bitter setback" in the war waged against his country.

“Their main tool” for weakening Iran “is to sow the seeds of doubt, despair, fear, mistrust and division,” wrote Khamenei in a text read out in public, adding that the “malicious enemy” had suffered a “bitter defeat on the battlefield.” These remarks were read at Ayatollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran, on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic.

“In the face of these sinister intentions, everyone must, through firmness, clear-sightedness, the preservation of unity and cohesion, mutual trust and a refusal to relay the enemy’s propaganda, neutralize its sinister plot,” the message added.

UNIFIL peacekeeper dies from critical injuries sustained when mortar shells struck his position near Marjayoun, southeastern Lebanon

Two other peacekeepers, who also sustained injuries, are being treated at a medical facility in the UNIFIL base.

Soon after the incident that happened late last night, the critically injured peacekeeper was flown to a hospital in Beirut where he succumbed to his wounds.

UNIFIL has launched an investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to this tragic incident.

UNIFIL has detected an increasingly high number of trajectories and impacts in southern Lebanon.

Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes.

Trump reportedly said he would consider ending Iran cease-fire if US troops killed

U.S. President Donald Trump told aides privately that he would consider ending the cease-fire with Iran if Iran kills U.S. troops, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Israel 'bans' residents of southern Lebanon from travelling south of the Zahrani River

In a message posted on X, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has "banned" residents of southern Lebanon from traveling “south of the Zahrani River until further notice.”

Israeli drone strike on Sour district kills 1 person and injures another

An Israeli drone strike targeting a scooter in Shahour (Sour), killed its driver, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

This is the fourth drone attack on roads in the south since this morning, following three similar strikes on the district of Nabatieh.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes also targeted Mansouri (Sour) and Deir Zahrani (Nabatieh).

Israeli overnight strikes on southern Lebanon: 2 warehouses bombed in the Saida region

Extensive damage caused by Israeli strike on industrial bakery in Ghazieh, south of Saida. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

In addition to this morning’s drone strikes, which killed at least one person, Israel carried out several strikes on southern Lebanon overnight, targeting in particular two industrial warehouses in the Saida region, reports our correspondent in the region.

The first, containing industrial equipment, was bombed south of the city and completely destroyed. The second, in Arab al-Jabal, was located 100 meters from a school housing displaced people. The attack left four people with minor injuries from flying glass.

Air strikes were also reported overnight in Jmaijmeh, Khirbet Silm, Kfar Dounin, and Froun (Bint Jbeil), Adsheet, near Ragheb Harb Hospital in Toul, Houmin Tahta (Nabatieh), as well as Touline and Majdal Selm (Marjayoun), Majdal Zoun, Hanouiyeh, and Maaliyeh (Sour).

Artillery fire also targeted Deir Kifa, Mansouri, Majdal Zoun (Sour), Majdal Selm, Souaneh and Qabrikha (Marjayoun), an area between Toul and Kfour (Nabatieh), Shaqra and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil), as well as Qatrani (Jezzine).

For its part, Hezbollah claimed responsibility overnight for attacks on Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of Yohmor al-Shaqif and on an “Israeli army command center near Beaufort Castle” (Nabatieh), as well as against an Israeli military position in Qantara (Marjayoun). Of the 17 strikes claimed by Hezbollah on Wednesday, only one targeted a position in northern Israel.

South Lebanon: Civil Defense urges displaced people not to return home immediately

The Civil Defense has urged displaced people not to return to their villages immediately and to wait for the authorities to issue official statements on the matter. It has also warned people not to approach the sites of the strikes, for safety reasons, particularly due to the possible presence of explosive devices.

Katz: Israel to 'retain freedom to act' in Lebanon, even Beirut, in event of Hezbollah attack

In a statement reported by the Israeli media, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli army would continue “to operate in the security zone in southern Lebanon and retain its freedom of military action, including against Beirut in the event of an attack on Israeli territory,” despite the new conditional U.S.-brokered "cease-fire" agreed overnight following high-level trilateral talks in Washington.

He added that this agreement marks a major milestone, with a commitment to disarm Hezbollah across the whole of Lebanese territory, the condemnation of Iranian influence in Lebanon and the region, as well as the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters north of the Litani River. “This statement reflects the new reality we have created in Lebanon,” the minister added, suggesting that this cease-fire could pave the way for a peace agreement. “Everything will depend on our determination and the Israeli army’s ability to verify the facts on the ground,” he said, before calling on the Israeli opposition to recognize what he described as a “great achievement."

Ben Gvir says cease-fire with Lebanon is ‘serious mistake’

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has condemned the U.S.-brokered "cease-fire" in Lebanon, describing it as a "serious mistake."

Air raid alerts in northern Israel

The Israeli military announced on Thursday morning that it had triggered air raid alerts in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, due to a “hostile aircraft infiltration." “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding the infiltration of a hostile aircraft in the Kfar Yuval area, a suspicious aerial target was identified,” the army wrote on social media. “The incident is over. No injuries have been reported,” it added.

The alarm had also been raised in Arab al-Aramche, another border village, for the same reason. The army eventually announced that it had made an error of identification.

Series of Israeli drone strikes on Nabatieh district, southern Lebanon

The car that was targeted at the Nmeirieh (Nabatieh) junction. (Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Several Israeli drone strikes have targeted vehicles in southern Lebanon since this morning, causing casualties.

• An Israeli drone attack killed a man driving his van at the Bfaroue junction, on the road leading to Deir Zahrani (Nabatieh).
• Another drone strike targeted a car carrying a family near the Nmeirieh/Nabatieh junction. Three injured people were taken to hospital.
• A third Israeli drone attack targeted a car at the Kfar Roummane roundabout (Nabatieh).

Joint statement of US, Lebanon, Israel on latest high-level trilateral meeting

The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America, Republic of Lebanon, and the State of Israel.

The United States convened the fourth high-level trilateral meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives on June 2 and 3, 2026.

As a result of the U.S.-led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.

The two sides agreed with the guidance of the United States to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.

These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement.

Read the full statement text here.

Hello and welcome to our live news blog

Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of news in Lebanon where a conditional "cease-fire" was announced in a joint statement overnight, but where deadly Israeli strikes continue to rain down across the south unabated.

You can find yesterday's live blog here and our Morning Brief with everything you need to know this Thursday here.