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Drone attack on soldiers
Five Israeli soldiers were injured in an explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, with the Israeli army saying one sustained serious injuries, two had moderate wounds, and two were lightly injured.
The BBC said Israeli drone strikes injured several people in Mansouri and Aaziyyeh on Wednesday, while jets attacked Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Kfar Tebnit, and it added that Israel’s military said five soldiers were injured in a drone attack by Hezbollah.
In the same southern-Lebanon area, the Anadolu Ajansı report said the attack came as tensions continued to flare along the Lebanese-Israeli border despite a recent understanding between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their military conflict that erupted after Israel and the United States launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.
The BBC also reported that on Monday an Israeli air strike on Beirut in response to a cross-border rocket attack by Hezbollah had put pressure on attempts to finalise the deal, and it said Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon "for as long as necessary".
US-Iran deal and Hezbollah
Hezbollah welcomed the US-Iran agreement to end the war between the two countries, while reaffirming its commitment to Lebanon's right to self-defense until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory and all prisoners are returned, Anadolu Ajansı reported.
The BBC said Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, declared in a televised address on Wednesday that the US-Iran agreement was a "great victory" and urged Lebanon to "benefit from this pivotal point".
On the US side, the BBC reported that on Tuesday Trump said Israel's prime minister needed "to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon" and that he said Israel had been fighting Hezbollah for "too long and too many people are being killed".
The BBC also said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told reporters his country was pursuing an "independent path" at its negotiations with Israel in Washington, while adding that he was "in favour of a ceasefire and welcome the support of any country that helps us, including Iran".
Violence, displacement, and stakes
Despite the US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, the BBC reported that more than 3,800 people have been killed in Lebanon during the conflict, according to the country's health ministry, and it said the figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
“5 Israeli soldiers injured by drone attack in southern Lebanon, military says Army says 1 soldier sustained serious injuries Mohammad Sio 17 June 2026•Update: 17 June 2026 ISTANBUL Five Israeli soldiers were injured in an explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the army said”
China Daily said four people were killed and several others wounded in Israeli drone strikes targeting Mayfadoun in southern Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon, citing Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA), and it added that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of the Rayhan area in the Jezzine district.
The stakes for civilians and services remained central in the reporting from China Daily, which said the Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said the cumulative toll from hostilities in Lebanon between March 2 and June 16 has reached 3,826 dead and 11,851 injured.
In parallel, the BBC said Israel maintains strict censorship regarding the results of Hezbollah attacks, imposing restrictions on media coverage and warning against publishing images or information related to casualties or targeted locations, while Anadolu Ajansı reported that Iran’s officials have repeatedly said ending Israeli attacks across regional fronts, particularly in Lebanon, is among the main objectives of the memorandum of understanding expected to be signed between Tehran and Washington on Friday.
