Death toll mounts as Israel pounds Lebanon, orders mass evacuations
Israel has struck Beirut twice since the ceasefire began, reportedly after previously refraining from targeting the capital at the request of the United States.
Israeli air strikes across Lebanon have killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens more as tensions continue to escalate despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 58 people were injured in the latest wave of attacks, which targeted southern Lebanon and parts of the capital, Beirut.
In one of the deadliest incidents, Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported that six members of the same family were killed in an Israeli drone strike while attempting to flee along the Adloun Highway at dawn. The highway is a major route linking the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre.
Another Israeli air strike south of Beirut killed a woman and two children two days ago, marking the first strike on the Lebanese capital in three weeks.
The Israeli military said it had “precisely struck” a target in the city but did not identify who or what was targeted.
Israeli media, citing unnamed sources, reported that the intended target may have been the leader of an Iranian-backed militia group.
The strike hit Dahieh, a densely populated Shia suburb in southern Beirut known as a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Thick smoke was seen rising above residential buildings as rescue workers and residents searched through rubble for survivors.
Residents described scenes of panic and devastation following the attack.
The Israeli military said the latest operations were aimed at Hezbollah “infrastructure” in southern Lebanon.
However, strikes have repeatedly hit residential neighbourhoods, roads and civilian facilities, raising growing concern over civilian casualties.
Lebanese authorities said Israeli bombardments also targeted Tyre and surrounding areas overnight, hitting a building and a cafe and triggering fires. Emergency crews continued to search through debris for victims.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army confirmed that one of its soldiers was killed in an Israeli strike in the Nabatieh area. Several other Lebanese soldiers have reportedly been killed in recent days in attacks across southern Lebanon and the western Beqaa Valley.
Israel issued sweeping displacement orders covering large parts of southern Lebanon, including Tyre and nearby communities. Residents were instructed to evacuate immediately and move north of the Zahrani River, approximately 40 kilometres from the Israeli border.
The evacuation warnings, circulated on social media alongside maps and marked buildings, prompted thousands of residents to flee amid fears of further strikes.
The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on April 17, 2026. Both sides have since accused each other of repeatedly violating the truce.
Israel has struck Beirut twice since the ceasefire began, reportedly after previously refraining from targeting the capital at the request of the United States.
Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Shia armed group and political movement, has exchanged near-daily accusations with Israel over ceasefire violations, while fears continue to grow that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war.
