Israeli Strikes in Lebanon: Rising Casualties and Urgent Negotiations
President Joseph Aoun confirmed that an Israeli air strike on a government building in the southern city of Nabatieh killed at least 13 security personnel on Friday.
The strike was part of a series of “non-stop” attacks across southern Lebanon. In a statement, Aoun condemned the targeting of state institutions, asserting that such actions would not deter Lebanon from defending its sovereignty.
The violence follows a significant escalation on April 8, 2026, when more than 100 Israeli strikes targeted various locations across Lebanon, including densely populated neighborhoods in Beirut. Those attacks killed over 300 people and damaged the last remaining main bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country.
Additional strikes reported by the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) killed one person in the town of Hannawiya and wounded another. Israeli forces also destroyed residential areas in Aita al-Shaab and conducted attacks in al-Majadel, located in the Tyre district. Reports from Al Jazeera journalists further indicated that Israeli forces blew up homes in the southern town of Hanine.
Hezbollah responded to these operations by firing rockets into northern Israel, targeting the towns of Metula, Misgav Am, and Kiryat Shmona.
The current escalation is part of a broader conflict that intensified on March 16, 2026, when the Israeli army began ground operations in southern Lebanon. According to military data, Israel intends to seize control of Lebanese territory extending from the border up to the Litani River, an area comprising approximately 10 percent of Lebanon’s total landmass.
The human cost of the conflict has reached 2,020 killed and 6,436 injured in Lebanon, with more than 1.2 million people displaced. Israeli forces have issued sweeping evacuation warnings for nearly all of southern Lebanon, leading to the emptying of entire villages.
The military operations coincide with a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated there will be “no ceasefire in Lebanon,” he indicated that Israel remains open to peace talks.