Israeli strikes kill 16 in Lebanon hours after ceasefire

Israeli strikes kill 16 in Lebanon hours after ceasefire Sat 20 Jun 2026 at 10:47pm In short: Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect. Israel says it was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group. What's next? The White House has not confirmed reports that US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is still planning to meet Iranian officials for talks in Switzerland. Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, with Israel saying it was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group. Lebanon's state news agency NNA said Israeli warplanes and drones hit multiple locations in the south and the Bekaa Valley. A statement from Lebanon's civil defence agency said 16 people had been killed. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes on what the official said were "Hezbollah targets". Hezbollah said it remained committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any attempt by Israel to seize territory or expand its occupation, adding that its fighters remained fully prepared to defend Lebanese territory. The group said Israeli forces attempted overnight to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in southern Lebanon. It said its fighters engaged the forces, after which Israel carried out air strikes inside and outside the operational area. A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not allow Israel "freedom of movement" in what it called occupied Lebanese territory, adding that resistance remained legitimate while Israeli forces remained in Lebanon. The violence highlights the fragility of a truce intended to halt months of escalating violence, and of an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that hinges in part on an end to the conflict in Lebanon. Deadly strikes One of the deadliest Israeli strikes on Saturday hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, mother and their two children, a local village official told reporters. The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road and accused Israel of undermining efforts to restore stability. Plumes of smoke rose into the sky over southern Lebanon on Saturday and Israeli jets flew low over the coastal city of Tyre. The city's residents told The Associated Press they were relieved that Tyre had been spared in recent days but the sounds of Israeli planes reminded them the war is not over. Many doubted a ceasefire — even if agreed on — would hold. "Our entire lives would change if there's a ceasefire," said Hussein Khoshman, a Tyre resident. Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm could be achieved if Hezbollah halted what she described as hostile activity and violations of agreements, adding Israel's presence in a security zone aimed to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, not harm civilians. The ceasefire was agreed on Friday after a sharp escalation in hostilities. Lebanon's health ministry says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women and children. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the latest hostilities. The US-Iran understanding announced this week calls for an immediate, permanent end to military operations by the parties and their allies across multiple fronts, including Lebanon. Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions it says could constrain its campaign in Lebanon. Prospect of Iran-US talks, unclear It remains unclear if any substantive talks will get under way soon between the US and Iran. Mohsin Naqvi, interior minister of Pakistan, which has been mediating in the conflict, is in Tehran for talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. US Vice President JD Vance had this week cancelled plans to head to Switzerland for talks with Iran, which Bern says it is ready to facilitate. The White House has not confirmed reports that US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are still planning to meet Iranian officials in Switzerland. Reuters/AP