Israeli Strikes Kill 6 in South Lebanon Hours After 45-Day Ceasefire Extension
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 16
Israeli Strikes Kill 6 in South Lebanon Hours After 45-Day Ceasefire Extension
12 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 16
At least six people, including three paramedics at a Hezbollah-linked clinic in Harouf, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon hours after Israel and Lebanon agreed in Washington to extend their ceasefire by 45 days.
Israel said it was hitting Hezbollah infrastructure and militants preparing to fire rockets at its troops, while Lebanese state media reported strikes on at least five southern villages and a fresh civilian exodus.
The extension also set up a US-supervised security mechanism between the Israeli and Lebanese armies, but Hezbollah rejected the talks and Israel has continued operations in the south despite the April 17 truce.
Israel also said it killed Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad in Gaza, as reports said Donald Trump had been briefed on military options in Iran, underscoring fears that multiple regional ceasefires are fraying.
With a ceasefire extended, why does the undeclared war between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate?
Is the systematic destruction of Lebanese villages a security strategy or a war crime in the making?
The 45-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, renewed on May 15, 2026, quickly unraveled as violence escalated just hours after its extension. Analysts immediately labeled the truce as fragile and unreliable. The turning point was the Israeli airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, which Israel called a decisive blow. Hezbollah confirmed his death and vowed severe retaliation, sparking a new and intense phase of conflict. This sequence of events shattered hopes for peace, triggered widespread devastation, and highlighted the ceasefire’s inability to prevent further escalation.