Two Israeli airstrikes in Majdal Zoun killed five people, including three rescue workers who were trapped after responding to the initial attack. The Lebanese army reported two soldiers wounded, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the strikes as "a new and blatant war crime." The U.N. human rights office has warned that strikes on civilians and healthcare workers may amount to war crimes. More than 2,500 people have reportedly been killed across Lebanon since March 2 amid continued clashes between Israel and Hezbollah despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Israeli Strikes Kill Five in Southern Lebanon, Including Three Rescue Workers in Majdal Zoun
Smoke rises following explosions in southern Lebanon, near the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from northern Israel, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Shir Torem
Two consecutive Israeli strikes on a building in the southern Lebanese town of Majdal Zoun killed five people on Tuesday, Lebanon's health ministry said. Among the dead were three rescue workers who had responded to the first attack and were trapped by the second strike, the Lebanese Civil Defense spokesperson told Reuters.
The Lebanese army said two of its soldiers were wounded in the second strike. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Leadership And International Concerns
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the strikes as "a new and blatant war crime committed by Israel," his office said. The United Nations human rights office last month warned that Israeli airstrikes hitting civilians, including healthcare workers, may amount to war crimes.
Wider Toll And Ongoing Clashes
More than 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since March 2, after Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions and triggered a broader Israeli air and ground campaign. Reported casualties include over 100 medics, more than 270 women and over 170 children.
A U.S.-mediated ceasefire reduced the overall level of hostilities, but clashes have continued in southern Lebanon with both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of violating the agreement. Israeli forces are occupying a strip of southern Lebanon and have warned civilians not to return to homes there, while the Israeli air force has continued strikes beyond the occupied strip, including on the town hit on Tuesday.
Last week, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a Lebanese journalist; Lebanese authorities and press advocates said ongoing attacks had impeded rescuers from reaching the site where the journalist was trapped under rubble. Hezbollah has continued using drones and rockets against Israeli troops in Lebanon and has launched attacks into northern Israel.
The Israeli military also said on Tuesday that it had found and dismantled tunnels in southern Lebanon that it described as being used by Hezbollah.
Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Menna Alaa El-Din and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Mark Porter and Daniel Wallis.
Help us improve.
