At least six people were killed and three injured in Israeli air strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported, calling the attacks a breach of a US-brokered ceasefire. The Zellaya strike killed the town council head, Ali Qassem Ahmad, and three family members; artillery fire in Mayfadoun caused two additional deaths. Israel issued evacuation orders for 12 villages north of the Litani River and expanded operations into western Bekaa. The clashes follow renewed fighting in March and have contributed to heavy casualties and large-scale displacement.
Air Strikes Kill At Least Six In Southern And Eastern Lebanon; Israel Issues Evacuation Orders
Smoke rises from an Israeli bombardment of the village of Mayfadoun as seen from nearby Marjeyoun in southern Lebanon on May 6, 2026 [AFP]
Israeli air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon have killed at least six people and wounded three, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported, calling the attacks a breach of a United States-brokered ceasefire reached last month.
Casualties and Local Impact
According to NNA, an air strike on the town of Zellaya in the western Bekaa on Wednesday killed four people and injured three. The agency identified one of the dead as Ali Qassem Ahmad, the head of Zellaya’s municipal council, saying he and three family members died when their home was hit.
Separately, Israeli fighter jets and drones struck areas of southern Lebanon, and artillery fire hit the village of Mayfadoun, where NNA reported two fatalities.
Hezbollah, Israeli Response And Evacuations
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it engaged Israeli forces and claimed responsibility for an attack on a gathering of Israeli soldiers. Israeli media and military statements say the strikes and subsequent orders were a response to perceived ceasefire violations, though independent verification of specific incidents remains limited.
Israel later issued forced-displacement orders affecting 12 villages in southern Lebanon, directing residents to stay at least one kilometre from their homes. Most of the villages named are north of the Litani River—an area not currently under sustained Israeli occupation—and the latest orders for the first time since the April 17 truce extended into western parts of the Bekaa Valley.
Wider Context
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah flared again on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel. The renewed cross-border exchanges have occurred amid broader regional tensions involving Iran. Since the escalation began in March, the article reports that roughly 2,700 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1.2 million displaced; entire villages in southern Lebanon have reportedly been destroyed. Some commentators in the coverage draw comparisons between damage in southern Lebanon and the devastation seen in Gaza, with the article describing the Gaza campaign as a "genocidal war"—a characterization attributed to the original reporting.
Note: Casualty and damage figures cited in this report are from Lebanese state media and other local reports. Independent verification from international monitors may vary.
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