JUNE 6, 2026
Israeli airstrikes kill nine in southern Lebanon, including three Lebanese army officers, days after ceasefire deal
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed nine people, including three members of the Lebanese military, according to the Lebanese army and state media. One strike hit a vehicle on a road linking Nabatiyeh and Marjayoun, killing a brigadier general, a captain, and a soldier; a second strike on the village of Saksakiyah killed six people and wounded four. The Israeli military confirmed striking the vehicle and said the incident is under review.
The strikes occurred days after U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks between Israel and Lebanon's government produced a new agreement, which Hezbollah has refused to accept. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun described the strike as "a flagrant violation to Lebanese sovereignty and international law," saying it occurred amid "ongoing escalation" despite Lebanon's participation in Washington negotiations aimed at ending Israeli attacks.
The Israeli military said the vehicle was "moving suspiciously" toward Israeli soldiers near the village of Kfar Tibnit, and that it had received "concrete indications" that Hezbollah would direct fire at Israeli troops from that area. The military stated that its operations target Hezbollah, not the Lebanese army.
The Lebanese army, in a statement, said Israel's attacks aim to thwart efforts "to reach a solution that would restore stability, establish a comprehensive ceasefire and lead to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories." The army said the strikes "only strengthen our resolve, faith and determination."