Israel vows further strikes on Hezbollah as Lebanon ceasefire comes under strain

Sunday 16 August 2026 - 17:00

Israel has warned that it will launch further attacks against Hezbollah whenever it considers the group a threat, raising fresh concerns over the durability of a US-backed framework intended to reduce hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The warning came a day after Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed 11 people, according to Lebanese authorities, making them the deadliest attacks since a framework agreement was reached in June.

Israel warns Hezbollah against further attacks

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel would continue responding forcefully to threats from Hezbollah.

His comments followed Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon that Jerusalem said were carried out in response to Hezbollah attacks involving explosive drones. Three Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded by the drones inside what Israel describes as a security zone along the border.

The Israeli government has also stressed that a separate two-week ceasefire arrangement does not extend to Lebanon, signalling that military operations against Hezbollah remain possible.

Two Hezbollah commanders reported killed

The Israeli military said two senior Hezbollah figures were killed in the latest strikes.

One was identified as Abou Hassan Alaaune, described by Israel as a senior commander in Hezbollah’s Badr unit and as being involved in the launch of explosive drones.

The military also announced the death of Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, whom it identified as a commander in the group’s elite Radwan Force.

The Israeli army said it later learned that members of Al-Haj Hassan’s family were present alongside him when the strike occurred and maintained that they had not been the intended targets.

Civilian casualties fuel criticism

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the deaths, referring to the loss of an entire family in the village of Ansar.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said three children and two women were among those killed in the strikes.

The United Nations also criticised the escalation. Imran Riza, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, said civilians and children continued to bear an unacceptable burden and stressed that international humanitarian law requires civilians to be protected at all times.

The Israeli government, meanwhile, accused Hezbollah of deliberately operating in ways that expose civilians to danger.

June framework faces a new test

The latest escalation comes despite a framework agreement reached in June under US auspices. The arrangement calls for Hezbollah to disarm, for Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence in the area.

The renewed violence demonstrates the difficulty of implementing those commitments while both sides continue to accuse each other of violating security arrangements.

For Lebanon, the deaths of civilians have intensified concerns over the humanitarian consequences of renewed Israeli strikes. For Israel, preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities remains a stated security priority.

The coming days will determine whether the latest exchanges remain limited or develop into a broader confrontation along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier.