Three killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, local media says

LiveLive Updates June 18, 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 18, 2026UpdatesIsrael issues new Lebanon occupation map, in talks with U.S. over deploymentA map published Thursday by the Israeli military indicates the security zone in which IDF soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's OfficeA map published Thursday by the Israeli military indicates the security zone in which IDF soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's OfficeIsrael's military published a map on Thursday showing an expanded zone of control for its troops in southern ⁠Lebanon, as Israeli officials told Reuters Israel was holding talks with the U.S. over continuing its deployment.An interim pact signed on Wednesday to end the ⁠U.S.-Israeli war with Iran calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and for parties to ensure "the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon."Israel has rejected calls to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, which it invaded in March in response to rocket fire by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Israeli attacks and the destruction of villages have killed thousands and set off a displacement crisis.Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks on ‌Israeli positions in the south this week, including with explosive drones that have killed and injured troops.Two Israeli officials, including a senior official close to Prime Minister ‌Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was holding talks with the U.S. over maintaining its troop deployment in southern Lebanon. The senior official described those talks as "stubborn".A map published in April by the Israeli military indicates the security zone in which IDF soldiers were operating in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitA map published in April by the Israeli military indicates the security zone in which IDF soldiers were operating in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitThe military, which in April published a map marking its so-called buffer zone in southern Lebanon, released a new map that shows its troops are operating several kilometres deeper into the country, including near the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh north of the Litani River.Israeli troops have been operating in some of those areas for several weeks, but the military had not yet published a map showing the expanded zone of control.In the map published on Thursday, the military described the territory, marked in dark red, as: "The security zone in which IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon".The two Israeli officials, who spoke to ‌Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks with Washington, said Israel would not back down on its position that its troops would remain deployed in Lebanon.One of the officials said the outcome of the talks would ultimately depend on whether Trump "decides to force the issue" by threatening repercussions if ⁠Israel does not abide by the interim pact's terms.3 killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, local media says Three people were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon's Nabatieh governorate on Thursday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency, as Israel continued military operations in southern Lebanon despite reports of a reduction in the overall volume of strikes. Women walk among the rubble of a neighborhood completely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, following the U.S.–Iran deal, in the Tyre district, Lebanon, Thursday. Credit: Zohra Bensemra/ReutersWomen walk among the rubble of a neighborhood completely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, following the U.S.–Iran deal, in the Tyre district, Lebanon, Thursday. Credit: Zohra Bensemra/ReutersThe agency reported that two people were killed in a strike targeting a vehicle in Kfar Tebnit, while a separate strike in Zebdine killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen reported that an Israeli drone carried out the strike in Zebdine.Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed reported an Israeli drone strike in the Beqaa Valley. Earlier Thursday, Qatar-based Al Araby TV reported that Israel had significantly reduced the volume of its strikes in Lebanon ahead of the implementation of a U.S.-Iran deal.However, according to the report, Israel continues to conduct military operations in Lebanon, primarily in the Nabatieh governorate and around the Ali al-Tahar Ridge, where the Israeli military seized Beaufort Castle.Iran's foreign minister says deal with U.S. could help restore regional peace in call with Kuwaiti counterpart‌Iran's Foreign ‌Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed ⁠the importance ⁠of dialogue with Gulf Arab states to address misunderstandings and ‌strengthen regional ‌ties during a phone call with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Jarrah Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah ⁠on Thursday, according to his ‌Telegram account.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg, Russia, April. Credit: Dmitri Lovetsky,AP Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg, Russia, April. Credit: Dmitri Lovetsky,AP Araghchi ⁠also expressed ‌hope that the peace accord ⁠with the United States would help restore peace ‌and stability in the region.Three killed in Israeli strike on vehicle in Gaza City, medical sources sayThree people were killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Gaza City, medical sources in the Strip said.Yellow concrete blocks mark the "yellow zone" under Israeli military control, as seen from Al-Tuffah in Gaza City, Monday. Credit: EBRAHIM HAJJAJ/ REUTERSYellow concrete blocks mark the "yellow zone" under Israeli military control, as seen from Al-Tuffah in Gaza City, Monday. Credit: EBRAHIM HAJJAJ/ REUTERSIn the last 24 hours, a woman was wounded by IDF fire in the western part of Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. Additionally, an underage girl was wounded by gunfire in Beit Lahia and a fisherman was severely wounded by Israel Navy fire on Deir al-Balah beach.2 hours agoStrait of Hormuz traffic still requires IRGC coordination, Iran's state media saysTransit ⁠of vessels through the Strait ‌of ‌Hormuz still ⁠needs to ‌be ⁠done ‌in coordination ⁠with the ‌Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' navy, Iranian ⁠state ‌television reported.Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Tuesday. Credit: Stringer/ REUTERSVessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Tuesday. Credit: Stringer/ REUTERSThe remarks came days after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X that the deal "shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade."The Strait of Hormuz would be "completely opened" on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said.2 hours agoIsraeli FM and EU top diplomat tit-for-tat on social media over reported 'apartheid' remarks, West Bank settlementsEuropean Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas talks to the media during an informal EU defense meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, last week. Credit: Petros Karadjias/APEuropean Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas talks to the media during an informal EU defense meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, last week. Credit: Petros Karadjias/APForeign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on Thursday that Israel will cut ties with the European Union's foreign policy chief over her reported equivalence of Israel and apartheid-era South Africa.Last week, Belgium-based Euractiv reported that Kallas compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to apartheid-era South Africa during a closed-door meeting while visiting Mexico in May, though the outlet did not publish a direct quote from the former Estonian prime minister.Posting on X, Sa'ar charged that Kaja Kallas – the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs – has been "acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness" toward Israel. "To date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement," he wrote. "I have no choice but to sever all contact with Ms. Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed at the world's only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East," Sa'ar added.Responding to the foreign minister Kallas wrote on X, "The EU is always committed to a constructive relationship with Israel," adding that, nevertheless, she believes a two-state solution is "the only viable path to bring peace to the Middle East.""The EU has condemned the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank that make it increasingly difficult to get to that goal. That is the EU position," she added.Read the full articleFormer prime ministers, ex-IDF and Shin Bet chiefs to Netanyahu: Act against Jewish terror in West BankTwo former prime ministers, senior scientists from Israel and the U.S., former heads of Israel's security branches and dozens of former senior officials from all defense organizations signed a letter sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, demanding decisive action against Jewish terror in the West Bank.Jewish settlers in the Palestinian village of Jalud, south of Nablus, in April 2026. Credit: Itai RonJewish settlers in the Palestinian village of Jalud, south of Nablus, in April 2026. Credit: Itai RonThe letter, which was drafted by an Israeli lawyer, Dr. Shmuel Berkowitz, includes a detailed description of Jewish terror activity against Palestinians in the West Bank over recent years. It calls for the state to be resolute in its action against it.Copies of the letter were also sent to Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet chief David Zini, Police Commissioner Danny Levy and several additional ministers and officials. Sending the letter is a preliminary step ahead of a possible petition to the High Court of Justice, if the government doesn't change its policies on the matter.Read the full articleAnalysis – Trump wants a new contractor in the war on Hezbollah. Syria doesn't want the job A man walks with a boy, carrying a Hezbollah flag, past a mural depicting former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior figures, on the day Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem delivers a televised speech, near the burial site of Hassan Nasrallah on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday. Credit: Mohamed Azakir/ REUTERSA man walks with a boy, carrying a Hezbollah flag, past a mural depicting former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior figures, on the day Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem delivers a televised speech, near the burial site of Hassan Nasrallah on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday. Credit: Mohamed Azakir/ REUTERSThe president of the United States, in a moment of honesty and based on his experience as a real estate entrepreneur, presented his new plan for solving the war in Lebanon. "If Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, he'll do the job, Syria will do the job," Donald Trump said on Tuesday, referring to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, during a meeting with the Qatari prime minister at the G7 meeting in France."He's [al-Sharaa] very capable. And he's been very good for me. He's protected everything that I've asked for… And if Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, he'll do the job."That's how it is in a business where time is money. When a construction project takes too long to complete and results in too many houses being needlessly demolished, there's no choice but to replace the contractor. Israel should have been alert to the fact that Trump doesn't see eye to eye with it about the Lebanon theatre, which has rapidly turned from an Israeli battleground into a bargaining chip for Iran in a game Trump has already forfeited.Read the full articleRECAP: Israel holding talks with U.S. on IDF deployment in Lebanon, two reported killed in southern Lebanon strikesHere are Thursday's latest updates:■ Israel is ‌holding negotiations with the United States as it seeks ‌to continue its deployment of troops in southern Lebanon, two Israeli ⁠officials, including a senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ⁠told Reuters.■ One person was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Zebdine, a town in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh District, Lebanese channel Al Mayadeen reported. The outlet also reported a drone strike in Kfar Tebnit, near Nabatieh, where earlier reports said one person was killed in a strike on a vehicle.■ The UN nuclear watchdog welcomed the interim peace deal signed by ⁠Washington and Iran, saying it would now be involved in technical discussions to implement the ⁠agreement.■ The head of Iran's largest petrochemical group said 89 percent of petrochemical units that were knocked offline during the war with the United States have returned to production, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported.■ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to recommence military efforts against Iran if it does not fulfill its commitments under the two countries' memorandum of understanding, saying, "We're more than able to reimpose an ironclad blockade."■ Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he intends to develop the Israeli settlement of Gevaot in the West Bank into a city, saying a plan to build some 800 homes in the community was approved, with intentions to advance thousands more.Hegseth: If Iran doesn't abide by deal, U.S. may reimpose 'ironclad blockade'U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council during the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday. Credit: Stoyan Nenov/ REUTERSU.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council during the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday. Credit: Stoyan Nenov/ REUTERSU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to recommence military efforts against Iran if it does not fulfill its commitments under the two countries' memorandum of understanding, saying, "We're more than able to reimpose an ironclad blockade."The defense secretary also said the agreement came from an American position of strength. "We're going to be the big stick behind the negotiations," Hegseth said.On the possibility that U.S. forces would withdraw from the region, Hegseth said that changes to troops' positions in the Middle East would be condition-based.One person killed in Israeli drone strike in south Lebanon's Nabatieh District, Lebanese reports sayOne person was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Zebdine, a town in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh District, Lebanese channel Al Mayadeen reported.The Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon is seen through an abandoned and damaged house in the community of Metula in northern Israel, Thursday. Credit: Ariel Schalit,AP The Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon is seen through an abandoned and damaged house in the community of Metula in northern Israel, Thursday. Credit: Ariel Schalit,AP The outlet also reported an additional drone strike in Kfar Tebnit, near Nabatieh, after earlier reports on Thursday said one person was killed in a strike on a vehicle there.Additionally, Lebanese media reported a drone strike in Haddatha, in the Bint Jbeil District. No injuries were reported. Hezbollah-run channel Al-Manar also reported that two people were wounded in a drone strike in Beit Yahoun, near Bint Jbeil.According to reporting from Qatari channel Al Araby, Israel has significantly decreased its volume of strikes in the country ahead of the implementation of the U.S.-Iran deal, though it is continuing military operations, focused mainly in the Nabatieh Governorate and the Ali al-Tahar Ridge, where Israel seized Beaufort Castle.In the NewsNSO Co-founder's Dream Security Raises $260 Million at $3 Billion Valuation'I've Lived at That School. 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