Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon kills 7 people, Lebanese state
media say
[August 15, 2026]
BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed seven
people and wounded three early Saturday, one of the deadliest attacks
since a precarious truce between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect
on June 20.
State-run National News Agency said the airstrike targeted a home on the
edge of the village of Ansar and that paramedics were still searching
through the rubble.
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A rescue worker, left, searches for victims under the rubble of a home
that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Ansar village, southern Lebanon,
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari) |
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Israel and the Lebanese government announced a “framework
agreement” on June 26, laying out a plan for Israeli forces to
withdraw from southern Lebanon, in exchange for the disarmament
of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. It also envisions
steps toward an eventual peace agreement between the two
countries — which technically remain in a state of war nearly 80
years after Israel’s establishment.
Hezbollah has refused direct talks and wasn’t party to the deal.
Intense Israeli airstrikes early Saturday also hit the strategic
Ali Taher hill, which overlooks parts of the southern city of
Nabatiyeh and main roads leading to it, NNA reported. Despite
the truce, Israel’s military has continued its almost daily
attacks on the area, which is north of the Litani River and has
been a de facto boundary in Lebanon, with large areas to the
south under Israeli military control.
Earlier this month, two Israeli soldiers were killed in an
explosion in southern Lebanon, the first Israeli deaths since
the shaky truce. Hezbollah did not comment on the blast.
Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of talks; the most
recent took place in Rome earlier this month.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has refused to disarm and accused the
Lebanese government of making too many concessions without
guaranteeing an Israeli withdrawal.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2, when
Hezbollah fired rockets across the border two days after the
U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran. More than 4,000
people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since
then, including hundreds of civilians. About 40 soldiers and
three civilians — including a military contractor — have been
killed on the Israeli side.
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