Israeli strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon, health ministry says​

August 15, 2026 - 21:58

At least 11 people have died following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The strikes targeted several areas near the border, and rescue teams were still pulling bodies from the rubble late into the evening. The ministry did not provide a breakdown of civilian versus militant casualties, but local officials said the dead included women and children.

The attacks come amid a sharp escalation along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, which has seen near-daily exchanges of fire for months. Israeli forces have said the operations are aimed at Hezbollah positions that pose a direct threat to northern Israeli communities. However, the high civilian toll has drawn criticism from international observers, who have called for restraint on both sides.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of international law and urging the United Nations to intervene. He said the government would file a formal complaint with the Security Council. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has not yet commented on the specific incident, but has previously stated that it takes steps to avoid harming non-combatants.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in the area, UNIFIL, said it was monitoring the situation and urged all parties to return to the 2006 ceasefire agreement. Hospitals in the region are reportedly overwhelmed, and medical supplies are running low. The death toll is expected to rise as search operations continue through the night.