Israeli Strikes Kill 12 in Southern Lebanon Despite Ceasefire

At least 12 people were killed and 25 wounded in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Friday, May 1, 2026, Lebanon's Health Ministry said, as a US-brokered ceasefire continued to fray. The strikes hit the towns of Habboush and Zrariyeh, with women and children among the dead.

Toll Across Two Towns

According to Al Jazeera and RTÉ, strikes in Habboush killed eight people, including a child and two women, and wounded 21. In Zrariyeh, four people, including two women, were killed and four others wounded. The Israel Defense Forces said it had acted "forcefully" against Hezbollah after what it described as the Iran-backed group's "violations of the ceasefire agreement," in a statement reported by Al Jazeera.

Hezbollah subsequently claimed retaliatory operations against Israeli troops along the border, suggesting that exchanges would continue despite the formal truce in place.

Cumulative Toll Since March

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health Emergency Operations Center said the cumulative toll since hostilities began on March 2 had reached 2,618 killed and 8,094 wounded. The ceasefire announced on April 17 has been extended through May 17, but Lebanese authorities and international monitors have logged near-daily violations.

Ceasefire Architecture Under Pressure

Democracy Now reported that civilian infrastructure damage continued to compound across southern Lebanon, even as international monitors continued to log violations of the truce. Lebanese officials have repeatedly called for stronger international guarantees, while Israeli officials maintain that strikes target Hezbollah operatives and weapons depots. The strikes mark another deadly day amid the daily violations Lebanese authorities and international monitors have logged since the ceasefire entered force last month.