Israeli Attacks in Southern Lebanon Kill 12 Including Children

Pilgrims urged to reduce activities outside Arafah tents. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported at least 12 deaths, including two children, from a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting southern regions on Thursday (28 May 2026). The attacks occurred as both sides prepared for the fourth round of US-mediated talks set for early next month. Official data showed that an attack on Sidon destroyed a residential building, killing five people including two women. Rescue teams reported the first two floors were completely collapsed, with 21 others injured, five of whom were children. In a separate incident in Adloun, a suburb of Sidon, a dawn strike targeting a vehicle killed six members of one family — father, mother, and two children. The Lebanese military confirmed another soldier died in a separate attack while driving in Nabatieh. The Israeli military previously designated the entire area south of the Zahrani River — approximately 40 kilometres from the border — as a combat zone, ordering residents to evacuate before launching military operations against Hezbollah. Ancient Tyre also faced heavy strikes. Lebanon’s Civil Defence reported at least eight attacks on the city centre and outskirts since Wednesday evening, with targets including buildings, cafes, and motorcycles, according to the National News Agency (NNA). The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, supposed to have taken effect since 17 April, has never been honoured. Both sides accuse each other of violations and use these claims to justify retaliatory strikes. Local residents in Tyre expressed concerns over the destruction of the historic city. Ghazouane Halawani, a local, stated the attacks seemed to target Tyre’s history and civilisation. ‘We will stay here. This is our country, our land, our lives,’ he told AFP amid smoke-filled skies after the blasts. The conflict has escalated since early March when Lebanon was drawn into a wider regional war after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for US-Israel strikes on Iran. Border tensions remain critical with ongoing ground troop mobilisations and aerial attacks. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei accused the US and Israel of attempting to split Iran in response to military defeats in a recent written statement. This comes amid increasing reports and testimonies from Palestinians and international observers about abuses against Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Plans for a new deal between Donald Trump and Iran have caused anxiety in Israel, with analysts viewing it as a strategic threat to Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli soldiers closed mosque gates and checked worshippers at entrances, forcing some to seek alternative mosques after delays. Palestinian Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha 1447 H at Al Aqsa Mosque amid ongoing Israeli aggression following the October 2025 ceasefire violation.