Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s southern Nabatieh district have killed at least 16 people, according to Lebanon’s civil defence agency, in one of the deadliest escalations since a new ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hezbollah.
Emergency crews said they had recovered 16 bodies and transported 12 injured people to hospital after sustained attacks across the region on Saturday morning. Officials added that rescue teams had been operating since early hours in response to what they described as continuing strikes targeting multiple locations in the district.
Lebanese authorities also believe a soldier was among those killed. The state-run National News Agency reported that several towns, including Arab Salim, Deir Zahrani and Dweir, came under repeated airstrikes and drone attacks. At least three people were killed in Arab Salim, one in Deir Zahrani, and another when a drone struck a motorbike at the entrance of Dweir.
Despite the ceasefire announcement made a day earlier through US and Qatari mediation, violence continued across southern Lebanon. Israeli forces reportedly carried out more than a dozen strikes overnight, alongside artillery shelling of Nabatieh city and surrounding areas.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group would consider itself entitled to respond if Israeli attacks continued, arguing that any ceasefire must be fully respected by Israel. He said resistance forces had “the right to confront” what he described as ongoing aggression, warning that continued strikes would undermine any truce arrangement.
The latest escalation comes amid conflicting accounts of the ceasefire’s implementation. A US official said an immediate truce had been brokered following diplomatic efforts involving Israel and Iran, with Qatar also playing a mediating role. However, Israeli officials have indicated they will only abide by the agreement if Hezbollah also complies, while stressing that military operations may continue if threats persist.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 47 people were killed in southern and eastern regions during strikes on the previous day, marking one of the deadliest periods in recent months. The Israeli military said it had conducted more than 150 strikes and claimed to have killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives, while also confirming the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
Diplomatic efforts continue alongside the violence. Talks involving Lebanon, Israel and international mediators are scheduled to resume in Washington, as part of US-led attempts to separate the Israel-Hezbollah conflict from wider regional tensions. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called for a comprehensive ceasefire as a prerequisite for progress in negotiations.
Meanwhile, broader regional diplomacy remains uncertain, with US-Iran negotiations over a wider conflict settlement facing delays amid rising tensions. Despite multiple mediation channels, including Swiss-hosted discussions and Gulf state involvement, officials have yet to secure a lasting framework to halt hostilities across the region.
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