Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon kill at least 27, including six medics and children

May 19, 2026

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 27 people, including six medics and multiple children, amid an ongoing conflict with Hezbollah that persists despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Lebanon's health ministry condemned the targeting of medics, noting 123 have been killed since March, as a violation of international law. Israel maintains it targets Hezbollah militants. The war has killed over 3,100 people in Lebanon and displaced nearly one million.

Israeli strikes on medics

▪The Israeli military stated its strikes on May 21-22 targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in Hanaway and two militants on motorcycles in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr.
▪Israel has accused Hezbollah of using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes, claims which Lebanon's health ministry denies.
▪On May 12, 2026, an Israeli drone killed first responders Hussein Jaber and Ahmad Noura in Nabatieh as they tried to rescue a man from a previous strike.
▪Two Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on May 21-22, 2026, killed six paramedics from the Islamic Health Association and the Al-Rissala Scouts Association.

Ceasefire violations in Lebanon

▪Both Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since the ceasefire came into force, with over 380 people killed in Lebanon during this period.
▪The recent Israeli strikes occurred despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that began in April 2026.

First responder deaths

▪An Israeli strike on May 21, 2026, damaged all three floors of the Tebnine Hospital in southern Lebanon, including the emergency room and ICU.
▪Doctors Without Borders described the killing of rescue workers as "part of an alarming pattern."
▪According to Lebanon's health ministry, 123 medics have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict began on March 2, 2026.
▪Lebanon's health ministry condemned the attacks on medics as violations of international humanitarian law, which protects frontline responders.

Civilian casualties in Lebanon

▪The Israeli military said its strike in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr on May 19 targeted "a Hezbollah terrorist in a structure used for military purposes."
▪An Israeli airstrike on a house in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr on May 19, 2026, killed at least 12 people, including three children and three women.
▪The dead in Lebanon since March 2 include more than 210 children and nearly 300 women, according to the health ministry.
▪The total death toll from a separate May 22 strike in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr was six people, including two medics and a Syrian child.

War displacement figures

▪The conflict began on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader.
▪In the same period, Hezbollah's attacks have killed 21 Israeli soldiers and four civilians in Israel.
▪Nearly one million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon since the war began.