RismadarVoice Reporters
June 20, 2026
Israeli air and drone strikes across Lebanon have killed at least 32 people, according to local authorities, intensifying tensions in the region and casting doubt on ongoing diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran.
The attacks come despite a ceasefire framework in place, with Lebanese officials reporting continued bombardments in the country’s south and east.
Health authorities say the violence has already killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon since early March, alongside thousands more wounded.
On Saturday alone, multiple strikes hit several areas across southern Lebanon, including Nabatieh, Tyre, Sidon and the western Bekaa Valley, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
Lebanon’s civil defence agency reported that 16 people were killed in the Nabatieh district, while additional strikes elsewhere claimed further lives, including members of a single family killed when their home was hit in Tyre district. Another strike in Sohmor reportedly killed four people inside a residence, while an attack in Qanarit left at least seven dead and several others injured.
A separate strike also killed a Lebanese soldier in Kfar Reman, according to the National News Agency, marking an escalation that has drawn concern from officials in Beirut.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Friday’s violence alone killed 83 people and wounded 141 others, most of them in southern regions where Israeli operations have been concentrated.
Reporting from the affected areas, local correspondents described the situation as highly volatile, with repeated air raids continuing despite announced ceasefire understandings.
Analysts say the ongoing strikes underscore the fragility of diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilising the region, particularly as indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran continue over a broader security arrangement.
Follow-up talks between US and Iranian representatives are expected to take place in Switzerland on Sunday, alongside mediators from other regional actors, as part of efforts to consolidate a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this week.
However, the escalation in Lebanon has raised concerns that the process could be undermined before meaningful progress is achieved. Article provisions of the US-Iran agreement reportedly link broader regional stability to a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
Lebanese officials have accused Israel of undermining peace efforts, saying continued military operations are obstructing attempts to restore stability.
In response, the Israeli military said it was acting against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, claiming the group had launched projectiles at its forces and violated ceasefire terms. Hezbollah, in turn, said it had targeted Israeli troops advancing near Nabatieh and warned that it would continue resisting while Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese army said the continuation of strikes was hampering efforts to stabilise the country, while lawmakers and officials warned that civilians were bearing the brunt of the renewed violence.
Diplomatic discussions involving Israel and Lebanon are also scheduled to continue in Washington later this month, with US officials describing the talks as part of a broader effort to achieve lasting peace. However, Hezbollah’s exclusion from the negotiations has raised questions about their effectiveness.
