Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Kill 39, Health Ministry Says

Thirty-nine people were killed in a new wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, according to the country’s health ministry, as hostilities between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah continued despite a ceasefire announced last month.

Get today's headlines by email

The ministry said one Israeli strike on the southern town of Saksakiyeh killed at least seven people, including a child, and injured 15 others. Three of the wounded were children.

Israel’s military said it had been targeting Hezbollah positions and acknowledged reports that civilians had been harmed.

Strike in southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes across southern parts of the country, including the attack in Saksakiyeh.

The Lebanese health ministry described the incident as a raid that produced an “initial toll of seven martyrs, including a girl,” along with several injuries.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted “Hezbollah terrorists operating from within a structure used for military purposes”.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said steps had been taken to reduce the risk to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance before the attack. The military added that it was reviewing the details of the incident.

Drone attack in Nabatieh

The health ministry also reported a separate strike involving a motorbike in the city of Nabatieh.

It said the attack initially targeted a Syrian national and his 12-year-old daughter. After they moved away from the first strike site, a drone carried out a second attack that killed the father, according to the ministry.

Officials said the drone then struck a third time, targeting the girl directly. She was undergoing emergency surgery in hospital, the ministry added.

Continued cross-border attacks

Hezbollah said it carried out a drone strike against northern Israel on Saturday, which it described as retaliation for ongoing Israeli attacks.

The Israeli military said an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah near the northern border injured three army reservists. One of the soldiers was reported to be seriously wounded.

Israel has continued to conduct air strikes largely in southern Lebanon, saying it is targeting infrastructure and personnel linked to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political party.

Rising toll since March escalation

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 120 people across the country over the past week, including women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures.

The Israeli military is also occupying a strip of territory along the Lebanon border. Israeli officials say the objective is to establish a security zone free of Hezbollah fighters to protect northern Israeli communities.

Lebanese villages in the area have been heavily damaged or destroyed during the fighting. Some rights organisations say certain actions by Israeli forces could amount to war crimes.

Hezbollah has also launched rockets and drones at Israeli positions in Lebanon and northern Israel during the clashes.

The latest violence follows a ceasefire agreement announced on 16 April by US President Donald Trump between the governments of Israel and Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah had previously agreed to a truce in November 2024 that ended an earlier conflict, though Israeli strikes on suspected Hezbollah targets continued afterward.

The conflict escalated again after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, killing Iran’s supreme leader. Hezbollah responded on 2 March by launching rockets and drones into Israel.

Israel then intensified air strikes on Lebanon and redeployed troops into southern areas in early March. Israeli forces currently remain in a zone extending about 10km inside Lebanese territory.

Since the renewed escalation began on 2 March, Lebanon’s health ministry says 2,795 people have been killed in the country.

Israeli authorities say 17 soldiers and one civilian have been killed in southern Lebanon during the fighting, along with two civilians in northern Israel.

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 10 May 2026

View full article