Israel continues strikes in Lebanon despite ceasefire, killing civilians as Amnesty calls for War Crimes Probe

Jul 8, 2026

Israel continues military strikes in southern Lebanon, killing civilians including school principal Esperanza Ghandour, despite a US-brokered ceasefire framework. Amnesty International is demanding a war crimes probe into Israeli strikes that killed 24 civilians. Meanwhile, Lebanon threatens to boycott upcoming Rome peace talks unless Israel fulfills its pledge to withdraw troops from two southern pilot zones.

Lebanon-Israel ceasefire withdrawal dispute

▪An Israeli official stated that more time was needed for the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw from one of the two pilot zones in southern Lebanon.
▪Lebanon is demanding that Israel fulfill its pledge to withdraw from two pilot zones in southern Lebanon and hand them over to the Lebanese military before participating in the next round of direct talks.
▪The Israel Defense Forces has made preparations for a withdrawal from the pilot zones, but has not yet been instructed by Israel's political leadership to do so.

Rome negotiations framework conditions

▪The next round of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon is scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy, on July 15-16, 2026.
▪The Rome negotiations follow the signing of a United States-brokered framework agreement in June 2026, which does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal.
▪Israeli officials have vowed that forces will remain in a 10-kilometer deep security zone in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat.

US diplomatic engagement role

▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to visit Washington on July 21, 2026, at the invitation of United States President Donald Trump.
▪Lebanese negotiators received guarantees that Washington would maintain the same level of engagement and policy in managing the talks in Rome.
▪The United States State Department told negotiating delegations that reaching a framework agreement marked the end of one phase and the beginning of a new one.

Lebanese sovereignty negotiation demands

▪Lebanon's diplomatic source asserted that Beirut wants to affirm its right and ability to negotiate on its own behalf.
▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that his upcoming Washington visit reflects United States support for finding a lasting solution to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

IDF operations southern Lebanon

▪Amnesty International demanded a war crimes investigation into Israeli airstrikes in March 2026 that killed 24 civilians, including 12 children, in Tyre, Saida, and Nabatieh.
▪The Israel Defense Forces announced the capture of a Hezbollah Radwan Force member and the killing of another during operations in Bint Jbeil on July 7, 2026.
▪Amnesty International concluded that Israeli forces violated international law by failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets in southern Lebanon.

Civilian casualties drone strikes

▪Esperanza Ghandour was killed when Israel bombed her vehicle after she returned to Nabatieh to check on repairs at her war-damaged home.
▪An Israeli drone strike on July 8, 2026, killed two young men walking near Ghandour Hospital in Nabatieh, Lebanon.
▪An Israeli strike on July 6, 2026, killed four people in Nabatieh, including public school principal Esperanza Ghandour and her mother.