Israeli strikes kill 16 in Lebanon hours after ceasefire

Lebanon says 3,912 killed in Israeli attacks since March 2; Israel reports 36 deaths, including civilians

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at ‌least 16 people on Saturday, Lebanese Civil Defence said, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, with Israel saying it was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group.

Lebanon's National News Agency said Israeli warplanes and drones had hit multiple locations in the south and the Bekaa Valley.

An Israeli military official ​said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes on what ​the official said were "Hezbollah targets".

The Israeli military, which has occupied swathes of southern Lebanon, said ⁠in a statement that Hezbollah's attacks constituted repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.

العربي الجديد: وقف إطلاق النار يدخل حيّز التنفيذ بعد 47 شهيداً بغارات إسرائيلية https://t.co/cKLcR0jOuQ

— National News Agency (@NNALeb) June 20, 2026

It said it remained committed to the ​truce in accordance with political directives and would respond decisively to any attacks on Israeli civilians or troops.

Hezbollah also said it remained ​committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any attempt by Israel to "seize territory or expand its occupation".

The group said Israeli forces attempted overnight to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in southern Lebanon. It said its fighters engaged them, after which Israel carried ​out airstrikes inside and outside its declared operational area.

Read More: EU urges Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity

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

The strikes highlight the fragility of a truce intended to halt months of escalating ‌violence, and ⁠of an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that hinges in part on an end to the conflict in Lebanon.

Deadly strikes

One of the deadliest Israeli strikes hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, a mother and their two children, a town official said.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike had killed a soldier ​on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.

Israel's Arabic-language ​military spokesperson said calm could ⁠be achieved if Hezbollah halted what she described as hostile activity and violations of agreements.

She said Israel's presence in a security zone aimed to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, ​not harm civilians.

A US official said the truce took effect at 4pm (1300 GMT) on Friday, and a ​senior Israeli official ⁠and two Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement.

Lebanon's health ministry says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women and children. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed.

The US-Iran understanding ⁠announced ​this week calls for an immediate, permanent end to military operations by ​the parties and their allies across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.

Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions that it says could constrain its ​campaign in Lebanon.