At least 14 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Monday, as tensions remained high despite a pause in direct exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran.
The attacks came just hours after Tehran warned that any continued Israeli military action in Lebanon would be met with what it described as “more severe and crushing measures.”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, one of the deadliest strikes hit near a Red Cross centre in the coastal city of Tyre, killing five people and injuring eight others, including four paramedics.
The bombardment also damaged parts of the city’s UNESCO-listed historic area.
Additional strikes were reported in al-Marwaniyah in the Sidon district, where two people, including a child, were killed. Ten others were wounded, among them four women.
In the Nabatieh district, an airstrike on the town of Zefta killed seven people and injured eight more. Local reports said a Syrian child and a woman were among the victims. Israeli artillery also shelled nearby Touline.
The latest attacks underscore how Lebanon remains a major front in the wider regional conflict, even after Iran and Israel signalled an end to their latest round of direct military exchanges.
Hezbollah said it carried out 16 operations against Israeli forces on Monday.
The group claimed it destroyed two Israeli military bulldozers near the strategic Beaufort Castle area and targeted several troop positions.
Hezbollah also said it intercepted an Israeli drone operating over southern Lebanon.
Although a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect in April, Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon, arguing that the campaign against Hezbollah is separate from its confrontation with Tehran.
Iran has repeatedly rejected that distinction, insisting that any lasting regional settlement must include an end to Israeli military action in Lebanon.
On Monday, Iran’s military announced it was halting its current attacks on Israel but warned that any further Israeli strikes — particularly in southern Lebanon — could trigger a stronger response.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz dismissed the warning and vowed to continue operations against Hezbollah. He also warned that attacks on northern Israel would prompt further strikes, including in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 airstrikes, more than 400 demolitions and several large-scale destruction operations since mid-April.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, more than 3,600 people have been killed and over 11,000 wounded since the current phase of the conflict began in March.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. More than one million people have been displaced, while government shelters in Beirut, Sidon and other regions are reportedly operating at full capacity.
Aid agencies warn that conditions are worsening for families forced from their homes. The International Rescue Committee said most displaced people are struggling to secure basic necessities, while many returning to southern communities are finding entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.
As diplomatic efforts continue, hopes for a broader regional ceasefire remain uncertain, with Lebanon still caught at the centre of the conflict.
