Israel Strikes 5 Southern Lebanon Villages, Orders 9 More to Evacuate Despite 45-Day Truce
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 16
Israel Strikes 5 Southern Lebanon Villages, Orders 9 More to Evacuate Despite 45-Day Truce
14 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 16
At least five southern Lebanese villages were hit on Saturday, while Israel issued new displacement orders for nine villages near Sidon and Nabatieh a day after extending the ceasefire by 45 days.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites; Lebanon's NNA reported air raids on Yohmor al-Shaqif and heavy artillery fire on Kfar Tebnit, Arnoun and the road linking them.
The renewed attacks followed Washington talks between Israeli and Lebanese envoys, with Beirut welcoming the extension and a US-facilitated security track as breathing space for civilians and state institutions.
Residents in the south saw little relief, with evacuations in Tyre already ordered as the extension was announced and fears rising that Israel will again use the truce period to intensify operations.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,900 people since the war began, including more than 500 since the April 17 ceasefire that has largely not held in practice.
With ceasefires failing and terror plots spreading globally, is a wider regional war now inevitable?
As China profits from the conflict, what would compel it to help enforce a lasting peace in the Middle East?
How does Iran still control the Strait of Hormuz if its military was supposedly 'wiped out' by the U.S.?
From Ceasefire to Crisis: The 2026 Israel–Hezbollah Conflict, Humanitarian Disaster, and Regional Fallout
Overview
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced by President Trump and extended for three weeks, hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah quickly escalated as the ceasefire expired on May 15, 2026. This renewed violence followed intense Israeli air attacks and a ground invasion into southern Lebanon, which had already displaced about 1.2 million people. Even after positive diplomatic talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Washington, the ceasefire failed to hold. The immediate resumption of fighting highlights the fragility of peace efforts and the deep challenges in achieving lasting stability in the region.