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Fresh Israeli strikes kill 22 in southern Lebanon, testing US-Iran deal

This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh shows smoke rising from the site of Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the forest area of Ali Al-Taher near Nabatieh, June 18, 2026. (AFP Photo)
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This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh shows smoke rising from the site of Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the forest area of Ali Al-Taher near Nabatieh, June 18, 2026. (AFP Photo)
June 19, 2026 08:45 AM GMT+03:00

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 22 people in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon early Friday, local media reported.

Tel Aviv stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah targets despite a U.S.-Iran peace deal aimed at easing tensions across the Middle East.

The Israeli military confirmed that it carried out overnight strikes and continued targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure across several areas of southern Lebanon.

"During the night, the army struck and continues to strike Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon," the military said in a statement.

Israel expands strikes across Nabatieh

The strikes were spread across much of southern Lebanon's Nabatieh Governorate, one of the regions most affected by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes targeted the city of Nabatieh as well as nearby towns, including Kfarjouz, Harouf, Sharqiyeh, Doueir, Kfartebnit, Toul and Jebchit, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Heavy artillery shelling was also reported around Kfarrumman, Zibdine, Haboush, Kfarsir and other communities across the region.

Several of the targeted towns lie along key routes linking Nabatieh to villages closer to the Israeli border and have regularly been used by residents displaced from frontline areas.

The region has witnessed repeated airstrikes, artillery exchanges and drone attacks since hostilities escalated earlier this year.

Hezbollah also announced that its fighters destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks near the Ali al-Taher hills, a strategic ridge overlooking Nabatieh, and said fighting remained underway.

The clashes follow Hezbollah's statement on Thursday that it had engaged Israeli forces advancing from Arnoun toward the outskirts of nearby Kfar Tibnit.

Located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Beirut, Nabatieh is the largest urban center in southern Lebanon outside the coastal city of Sidon. It serves as a commercial and administrative hub for the surrounding districts.

A woman searches for salvageable items in the rubble of her home after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Roummane, June 18, 2026. (AFP Photo)
A woman searches for salvageable items in the rubble of her home after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Roummane, June 18, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Israel presses on despite truce efforts

The latest attacks come after a 45-day ceasefire extension between Israel and Lebanon took effect on May 17 following U.S.-mediated talks. The agreement was intended to reduce cross-border hostilities, but clashes and airstrikes have continued in the weeks since.

Washington announced on June 3 that Israel and Lebanon had reached a separate understanding on a broader ceasefire framework under which Hezbollah would halt attacks and withdraw its forces from south of the Litani River.

Hezbollah rejected the conditions, and Israeli operations in southern Lebanon have continued despite repeated ceasefire announcements.

The strikes risk undermining a broader agreement reached between the United States and Iran this week.

The 14-point accord, brokered through Pakistan and signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday, calls for an end to regional fighting, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and measures to ease tensions across the Middle East, including in Lebanon.

Israel launched a major air campaign in Lebanon on March 2, and Lebanese authorities have reported widespread displacement and extensive damage since the fighting escalated.

According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed 3,912 people.

June 19, 2026 01:44 PM GMT+03:00
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