Israeli tanks deployed along the border with southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (Credit: Jalaa MAREY/AFP)
SOUTH LEBANON — Israel killed two people on Tuesday, shattering three days of relative calm that had accompanied the start of the U.S.-Iran negotiations in Switzerland aimed at transforming the current cease-fire into a comprehensive, lasting regional agreement and bring a definitive end to the war launched on Feb. 28 by Israel and the U.S. against Iran.
The Israeli attack occurred in Nabatieh Fawqa (Nabatieh), where the Israeli army opened fire on civilians who had gone to inspect their homes in the al-Dair neighborhood, Mayor Zain Ghandour told our regional correspondent.
Three people were wounded, including two critically, who later died of their injuries, according to a medical source at Al Najda Hospital, where they had been rushed to following the attack.
These were the first deaths by Israeli fire recorded since Israel suspended its offensive under pressure from the U.S. and Iran. On Monday, Tehran's U.N. ambassador Ali Bahreini emphasized that attacks in Lebanon constitute a "red line" that Washington and its Israeli ally must not cross. The same day, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli army would remain in the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary and would retain freedom of action there. Meanwhile, another round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel is due to begin Tuesday in Washington.
In a statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of "flagrantly" violating the cease-fire and asserted its right to "self-defense." The group said Israeli soldiers opened fire at around 11:30 a.m. from homes where they had been lying in ambush. It added that those targeted were working to reopen roads and recover the bodies of people still buried beneath the rubble. According to the statement, one of the victims was a municipal employee.
Further Israeli truce violations in Lebanon
Another Israeli truce violation occurred in Hadatha, in the Bint Jbeil district, where the Israeli army opened fire on a funeral procession heading to the local cemetery. According to Mayor Eid Mansour, villagers were preparing, in coordination with the Red Cross, to bury two residents after obtaining approval through the Lebanese Army from the cease-fire coordination committee between Hezbollah and Israel, also known as the "Mechanism." The body was created following the first cease-fire reached in November 2024 to end the previous war between the two sides. The Israeli army opened fire as participants reached the entrance of the village, our correspondent reported. The two bodies were subsequently transferred and temporarily buried in Tibnin, in the Bint Jbeil district. During the incident, the Israeli army also positioned three Merkava tanks and a bulldozer at the entrance to the cemetery.
Three other incidents were reported between the morning and early afternoon. Small Israeli drones dropped stun grenades on the outskirts of Braasheet and Aita al-Jabal, both in the Bint Jbeil district, our correspondent in the South reported.
Before these incidents, the night had been largely calm despite a few attacks. Israeli drones dropped stun grenades over Nabatieh, at the entrances to the villages of Zawtar Sharqieh and Zawtar Gharbieh, as well as over Haddatha (Bint Jbeil), Nabatieh Fawqa, Kfar Tibnit, and Kfar Roummane in the Nabatieh district. Three Israeli artillery shells were also fired near Mansouri, in the Sour district. At around 2 a.m., the Israeli army opened machine-gun fire in several neighborhoods of Khiam, in the Marjayoun district.
Meanwhile, southern Lebanese residents continued to return home, though most went to inspect their homes and businesses, as they watchfully wait for further security developments.
Damage is estimated at $1.38 billion, while 11,000 buildings have been destroyed, according to a study published jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS). The findings are based on a rapid assessment comparing satellite imagery from late April and October 2025.
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