Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese military, amid continued hostilities despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
The Lebanese army said two officers and one soldier died when a military vehicle was struck on the road linking Khardali and Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the targeted vehicle was moving in a suspicious manner within what it described as an active combat zone in an area that had previously been ordered evacuated. The military maintained that its operations are directed against Hezbollah and not the Lebanese army, adding that the incident was under review.
The strike comes as efforts to end the conflict face fresh challenges. A conditional ceasefire framework announced this week following Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington was swiftly rejected by Hezbollah, which insisted that any agreement must include a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Reacting to the attack, Hezbollah condemned the strike as a serious escalation and accused the Lebanese government of yielding to external pressure during negotiations.
The Lebanese army also criticized the continued Israeli military operations, saying repeated attacks were undermining diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a lasting settlement.
Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, describing it as a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and noting that it occurred despite Lebanon’s efforts to advance negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam similarly denounced the attack, calling it a crime against Lebanon and its people.
The latest developments came as Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal traveled to Pakistan for talks linked to mediation efforts involving the broader Middle East conflict. Pakistan has played a role in facilitating discussions between the United States and Iran aimed at reducing regional tensions.
Meanwhile, military operations continued on both sides of the border. Israel renewed evacuation orders for several villages in southern and eastern Lebanon and said it had struck around 150 Hezbollah targets over the previous two days.
Lebanese state media reported multiple Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern parts of the country. In one incident, a nurse working at a hospital in the southern city of Tyre was reportedly killed while travelling to work.
Hezbollah, for its part, said it had launched attacks against Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon and targeted military positions near the border.
The conflict, which intensified after Hezbollah opened a front against Israel in support of Iran, has caused widespread destruction and displacement. According to Lebanon’s health authorities, nearly 3,600 people have been killed since the escalation of hostilities.
Diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire continue, but Saturday’s violence underscored the fragility of negotiations and the challenges facing mediators seeking to end the conflict.
