Israel kills 27 in Lebanon in 2 days following Hezbollah truce
A child stands next to the rubble of a building damaged in an Israeli strike in Qennarit, southern Lebanon, June 20, 2026. (Reuters Photo)


An Israeli airstrike in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley killed at least five people, including a child, on Sunday, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported.

A separate attack near the southern coastal city of Tyre killed two Palestinians, the NNA said. The Israeli military claimed it was not aware of any overnight strikes conducted by its forces.

The latest violence came after Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 20 people Saturday, the NNA reported, a day after a cease-fire with Hezbollah took effect aimed at halting months of escalating conflict.

Israel claimed the Saturday strikes responded to more than 50 projectiles launched overnight by Iran-backed Hezbollah at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli military official described as "Hezbollah targets."

The NNA reported Israeli warplanes and drones struck multiple locations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

Hezbollah accused Israel of hundreds of ceasefire violations, warning that continued attacks "will not pass without a response." It urged Washington to pressure Israel to halt its attacks.

An Israeli military official said the military received updated directives from political leaders to cease fire and was not conducting proactive strikes, but operating defensively within what Israel calls a security zone. Five Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours, the official said.

The Israeli military, which occupies parts of southern Lebanon, claimed that Hezbollah attacks violated the cease-fire agreement. It remained committed to the truce, in line with political directives, and would respond decisively to any attacks on Israeli civilians or troops, the military said.

Hezbollah also said it remained committed to the cease-fire but would respond to any Israeli attempt to "seize territory or expand its occupation."

The group added that Israeli forces attempted overnight to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in southern Lebanon. Its fighters engaged the troops, prompting Israeli airstrikes both inside and outside its declared operational zone, it said.

A person inspects the damage in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters Photo)

A senior Hezbollah official said the group would not allow Israel "freedom of movement" in occupied Lebanese territory, adding armed resistance remained legitimate as long as Israeli forces remained in Lebanon.

Lebanese security sources said Israeli ground forces were closely monitoring a strategically significant hill near Nabatiyeh, northeast of Tyre, which they have not seized.

The sources said Hezbollah members and commanders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are concealed there. However, Israel's Ynet news website reported that the Israeli military controls the area.

Israel claims the hill houses a fortified underground base, built with alleged Iranian support, that serves as a key Hezbollah command-and-control center in southern Lebanon with dozens of members.

Hezbollah denied these reports to Al Jazeera, saying the Israeli military used them to boost morale after failing to seize the hill.

Three weeks ago, Israeli forces seized the nearby Beaufort Castle, a 12th-century fortification. The region has seen repeated clashes. Four Israeli soldiers recently died in an attack on their tank.

The renewed violence casts doubt on the durability of both the ceasefire and a broader U.S.-Iran memorandum announced this week, which hinges in part on ending hostilities in Lebanon.

One deadly Israeli strike hit a three-story residential building in the southern town of Barish, Tyre district, killing a father, mother and their two children, a local official said.

The Lebanese army said another Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road. The NNA reported that an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Nabatiyeh branch of Lebanon's central bank. The central bank said the strike directly targeted the building, causing material damage but no casualties.

Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm could be achieved if Hezbollah ceased hostile activity and violations of existing agreements. They claimed Israel's presence in a security zone, intended to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, rather than harm civilians.

"All night we heard explosions. We were somewhat excited by those statements about a cease-fire, but everything is continuing as usual," said Ofri Valfer, a resident of northern Israel. "You can hear very loud blasts here, and life goes on alongside that. Hopefully, better days will come."

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported Israeli attacks have killed 4,057 people since March 2, including medics, women and children. It did not specify how many of the dead were combatants. Israeli authorities said fighting with Hezbollah has killed at least 32 soldiers and four civilians.

The U.S.-Iran MoU announced this week calls for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations by the parties and their allies across several fronts, including Lebanon. Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions it says could constrain its campaign in Lebanon.