Hezbollah and Israeli military exchange drone, missile and air strikes
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 5
Hezbollah and Israeli military exchange drone, missile and air strikes
11 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 5
Lebanon said 17 people have been killed since Sunday, while Israeli strikes on Srifa on Tuesday injured five, including four paramedics.
Israel warned residents to evacuate several towns north of its self-declared security zone as Hezbollah reported 13 attacks on Israeli soldiers on Monday.
The violence marks one of the deadliest periods since the mid-April ceasefire; Lebanon says 2,702 people, including 103 medical workers, have been killed since 2 March.
Israel is leveling Lebanese towns for a buffer zone. At what point does national defense become a war crime?
With its government demanding disarmament, is Lebanon on the brink of civil war while also battling Israel?
How are Hezbollah's cheap plastic drones managing to outsmart Israel's billion-dollar air defense systems?
The 2026 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict: Drone Innovations, Humanitarian Crisis, and Diplomatic Deadlock
Overview
Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire began in mid-April 2026, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah remains tense and unstable, with frequent violations from both sides. Hezbollah continues daily attacks using advanced fiber-optic guided drones that evade Israeli defenses, causing casualties and frustration. In response, Israel maintains military operations south of the Litani River, including airstrikes that have killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters but also caused heavy civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon. Political deadlock persists, as Israel demands Hezbollah's disarmament while Hezbollah refuses to disarm without Israeli withdrawal. This stalemate fuels ongoing violence, humanitarian suffering, and regional tensions, with limited diplomatic progress and a high risk of further escalation.