Two killed in southern Lebanon during olive harvest, Lebanese authorities say
Two people were killed in southern Lebanon while taking part in the annual olive harvest, according to official Lebanese state media and local authorities, amid continuing military strikes that have persisted despite a June ceasefire framework.
The fatalities occurred on October 11, 2026, in the Bint Jbeil district as residents attempted to gather their crops. The Lebanese army blamed Israeli tank fire for one of the deaths and labeled the ongoing military actions a flagrant breach of existing agreements.
Casualties and Incidents in Southern Lebanon
According to the official National News Agency (NNA), one man was killed in the village of Yater when Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of the town while he was inspecting his land and olive harvest. The victim was identified by the NNA as a retired soldier.
In the nearby village of Froun, an engineer who had traveled from Beirut to tend to his family’s trees was killed when a foreign object left over from previous military operations exploded. Froun Mayor Hassan Bazzi told Agence France-Presse that the incident prompted local residents to halt the harvest entirely. Residents are now waiting for the Lebanese army to complete the decontamination of the village.
Following the shelling in Yater, the local municipality urged residents to avoid the town outskirts and refrain from crossing earthen barriers separating unsafe neighborhoods.
Israeli Strikes Continue Despite Lebanon Ceasefire Agreement
The violence follows a framework agreement struck between Lebanon and Israel in June, which aimed to establish a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army in vacated border zones. While the agreement lessened the intensity of southern clashes, it has failed to stop them completely.
Israeli warplanes and artillery continued striking multiple towns across southern Lebanon on Sunday, including Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, Mansouri in the Tyre district, and Majdal Zoun.
The ongoing hostilities trace back to March 2, when Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel in support of Tehran during the United States-Israel conflict on Iran. Subsequent Israeli bombing campaigns and ground invasions have killed more than 4,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to Lebanese health authorities and the International Organization for Migration.
Cross-Border Operations Near the Syrian Frontier
In a separate cross-border operation on the northeastern frontier, the Israel Defense Forces announced a precision aerial strike targeting a Syrian national named Yusuf Ali al-Hassoun near the Lebanon-Syria border.
According to the Israeli military, al-Hassoun was targeted in the Hermel district near Hosh al-Sayyed Ali under allegations that he was planning attacks against Israeli forces and civilians under Iranian direction. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that six people were injured in that drone strike, including five Syrian nationals and one Lebanese citizen.
