Israel strikes reported in several areas across southern Lebanon

LiveLive Updates June 17, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJune 17, 2026Updates1 hour agoPolice use batons, stun grenades on Haredi protesters blocking road near Tel AvivPolice officers are using stun grenades and batons against ultra-Orthodox protesters who blocked a major highway near Tel Aviv's Haredi suburb of Bnei Brak over the arrest of IDF draft evaders.Hatzalah said its medics treated eight people wounded at the demonstration, with several of them evacuated and hospitalized. The Israel Police said its officers have so far arrested five protesters.Footage from the crackdown shows that police began using stun grenades within minutes of the demonstration beginning. The police's use of batons against the protesters marks the first time the Tel Aviv District Police have used batons since 2020.Footage also shows an officer ripping a protester's pants while dragging him across the road.The protest began following recent arrests of Haredi men evading mandatory IDF conscription. "When they try to shut down the Torah and the faith – we will shut down the state," said the hardline Haredi movement associated with Rabbi Tzvi Friedman."The factories will be closed, the offices will be shut down – and all commerce will come to a standstill at a time when yeshiva students are being persecuted."Arye Dery, head of the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party Shas, urged far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to "wake up," adding that it "cannot be" that police are treating Haredi protesters more brutally than "Kaplan Street anarchists who sought to destroy the country," referring to anti-government protesters.Israeli strikes reported across southern LebanonSmoke billows over Nabatieh al-Fouqa in southern Lebanon after an Israeli strike, Wednesday. Credit: Use under Section 27A of the Copyright LawSmoke billows over Nabatieh al-Fouqa in southern Lebanon after an Israeli strike, Wednesday. Credit: Use under Section 27A of the Copyright LawIsrael struck several areas in southern Lebanon, state media reported. About an hour earlier, Israeli strikes were reported in the town of Nabatieh al-Fouqa in southern Lebanon, on the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh.Reports: Israeli settlers vandalize mosque in West Bank village, set it ablazeIsraeli settlers vandalized a mosque and set it ablaze in the Palestinian village of Jaljilya in the West Bank, according to local reports and footage from the building.One video from the incident shows Hebrew graffiti on the walls of the building and smoke billowing from its entrance. Another video shows the building's charred facade.The graffiti seen on the building reads, "Guys, wake up," "revenge," "night of the mosques" and "detainee's regards," referring to arrested Israeli settlers.4 hours agoPlot to attack White House UFC event partially intended to target pro-Israel lawmakers, officials sayFederal authorities alleged the plot to target Sunday's UFC cage-fighting show at the White House was at least partially intended to target pro-Israel lawmakers attending the event."Members of the group targeted some legislators based on the group's perceived belief that the legislators accepted money from pro-Israel lobbies," the Justice Department claimed Tuesday.Five men were arrested in the plot and authorities say they "planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC Freedom 250 event in order to force an evacuation of the event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon high-value targets within the fleeing crowd."Report: Iran has launched night drones in Strait of Hormuz since deal with U.S. Iran has launched drones toward commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz every night since Sunday's digital signing of a memorandum of understanding with the U.S., NBC reported, citing an official American source. According to the source, the drones were launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and intercepted by the U.S. military before they could threaten commercial shipping, naval vessels or American forces in the region.Australia lowers Middle East travel warnings after U.S.-Iran agreementAustralia on Wednesday relaxed its travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after the U.S. and Iran reached an interim deal to end the war in the Middle East.Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the advisory moved to "reconsider your need to travel" from "do not travel," but added that Australians should continue to delay non-essential travel to the Gulf states."While the security situation across the Middle East could deteriorate rapidly with little warning, the (government) has assessed current conditions in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE as appropriate to move to (the lower level)," Wong said.U.S. Senate narrowly blocks new bid to rein in Trump war powersThe U.S. Senate on Tuesday narrowly blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to end the Iran war until it is authorized by Congress, the ninth by Democrats since Israel and the United States began their air attacks on Iran in February.The Senate voted by 48-47 to block the resolution under the war powers law, which followed a framework agreement announced this week by the White House and Tehran for a further ceasefire and talks to end the conflict.The vote was largely along party lines, as Republicans Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted with most Democrats in favor, and Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted no along with most Republicans.Five senators - Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri, Democrats Michael Bennet of Colorado and Cory Booker of New Jersey and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont - did not vote.The vote came as lawmakers waited for President Donald Trump's administration to provide them with details about a memorandum of understanding announced by Trump on Sunday to end the war.5 hours agoHillary Clinton: Netanyahu believes that war is his friend, Iran deal could be last straw for himFormer U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "believes that war is his friend because his political standing is under attack from a lot of different directions."Speaking with David Remnick at the 92 Street Y in New York, Clinton went on to say that Netanyahu "wants to contain the opposition by creating conflict so that he tries to rally the country behind him. I think this Iran deal may be the straw that finally breaks that and creates an opening for his departure in the upcoming elections."The former First Lady went on to praise U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for the Gaza Strip, which she described as providing "a pathway to security for Israel, reconstruction for Gaza and the possibility of self-determination for the Palestinians. There are a lot of people who reject it because Trump did it, but it's the only game in town. There's nothing else," she added.RECAP: Israeli drone strikes kill four in Lebanon, two in Gaza, reports sayHere are Wednesday's latest updates:■ Iran's parliament speaker and ⁠top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told his Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, that Israel must ‌withdraw from "occupied areas" in ⁠Lebanon and that "the people of ‌southern ⁠Lebanon ‌must return to their homes."■ Four people were killed in Israeli drone strikes in the town of Haddatha and the village of Meidoun in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's National News Agency reported, in the deadliest wave of attacks since the U.S.-Iran agreement was announced on Monday.■ Hawkish American pro-Israel lobby AIPAC offered a terse statement insisting Israel must be permitted to act against Hezbollah, after U.S. President Donald Trump decried Israel's "killing everyone" in Lebanon.■ The IDF said it intercepted several rockets launched by Hezbollah at an area where Israeli troops were operating in southern Lebanon and subsequently "struck and dismantled the launcher from which some of the rockets were fired."■ Iran will be permitted to immediately start selling fuel and oil under the agreement reached with the United States, with waivers for sanctions, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the deal.■ U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran has acquired the capacity to effectively block access to the Strait of Hormuz at any time, causing harm to the global economy as a result of the war, CNN reported, citing three sources familiar with the assessments.■ An Israeli drone strike killed two brothers, Ahmed and Mahmoud Abu Heen, near a residential building in the Nuseirat ⁠refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, health officials said.In the NewsIDF Worried That Iran Deal Could Force It Back to Southern Lebanon's Yellow LineIsrael Strikes Reported in Several Areas Across Southern LebanonIgnoring Court, Israeli Police Shackled Suspect Under Psychiatric Evaluation'Quiet Scarier Than Noise': Residents of Northern Israel Feel Abandoned – AgainHaaretz CartoonRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHumiliated by Trump on the Iran Front, Netanyahu May Set the Middle East AblazeTrump Just Dropped a Megaton Bomb on Netanyahu's Re-election Campaign'Once-in-a-lifetime Discovery': 1,700-year-old Roman Busts Found in IsraelTrump and Netanyahu Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel TiesWhy Does the Jewish State Keep Deporting Diaspora Jews?The Fake Gaza Charity Linked to the Anti-left Disinformation Campaign in France