The 2026 Lebanon war began after Hezbollah fired projectiles into Israel in response to the start of the Iran war, prompting major Israeli retaliation and opening a new front in the regional conflict.
Hezbollah drones, including inexpensive fiber-optic models costing around $300, successfully struck Israeli military positions including an Iron Dome battery in northern Israel, injuring soldiers. The escalating drone warfare in southern Lebanon is complicating Iran-U.S. negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel conducted airstrikes on Beirut for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, claiming to target a commander of the group's elite Radwan force. Israel also issued evacuation warnings for 12 villages in southern Lebanon ahead of planned strikes.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed journalist Amal Khalil and wounded photographer Zeinab Faraj in what Lebanese officials called a deliberate 'double-tap' attack. Lebanon's prime minister accused Israel of war crimes, with rescuers also targeted.
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight local time (21:00 GMT Thursday), announced by US President Donald Trump. The truce follows rare direct negotiations in Washington and aims to pause fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, though violations have already been reported by Lebanon's military.
An Israeli airstrike on a State Security agency building in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, killed at least 13 members of Lebanon's security forces, marking a significant escalation as US-Iran peace talks were underway.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to hold direct ceasefire talks in Washington next week for the first time in decades, aimed at halting violence in southern Lebanon, though fighting continues with Israel claiming it killed a close aide to Hezbollah's leader.
An Indonesian peacekeeper serving with UNIFIL was killed in artillery fire in southern Lebanon, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the military to expand operations in the region. The death marks a significant escalation in Israel's ground campaign.
