Israeli Strikes Kill 2,969 In Lebanon As Ceasefire Extension Agreed For 45 Days

Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire, which had been set to expire Sunday, by 45 days, while Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon.

The Health Ministry said Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 2,969 people and wounded 9,112 since March 2, and the figures represented an increase of 18 deaths and 124 injuries over the past 24 hours.

Al Jazeera

In the city of Sour, southern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike targeted a neighborhood in the city of Sour on May 15, 2026, and the live updates described a strike on a house in Habboush that killed Mohammad Jamoul and his wife, Sakineh Abbas Makki.

The BBC reported that an Israeli air strike on a town in southern Lebanon killed six people, including three paramedics, and said Lebanon’s health ministry reported a fourth paramedic sustained "critical injuries" after a civil defence centre was attacked in the town of Harouf.

The US said the ceasefire extension followed direct talks in Washington DC, with State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott describing the negotiations as "highly-productive" and saying political negotiations would continue on June 2 and June 3.

In parallel, Israel’s military issued evacuation warnings for multiple southern Lebanese villages, with Naharnet reporting that the Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X that residents of five villages must evacuate and stay away by a distance of no less than 1,000 meters.

Al Jazeera

Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and the Today live updates said Hezbollah fighters targeted between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. "gatherings of Israeli army vehicles and soldiers" in Khallet Raj, in Deir Sirian, using artillery fire and waves of rocket barrages.

The BBC said the Israeli military told it it had "identified" and "eliminated" two "Hezbollah terrorists" and that "steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians," while Lebanon’s health ministry accused Israel of targeting civilians and paramedics, which Israel denies.

As the ceasefire extension takes effect, the BBC said more than one million people, amounting to one in five of the population, have been forced from their homes across Lebanon, most of them from the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahieh.

The Gulf News report said Israel’s military announced the death of Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan, 20, who "fell during combat in southern Lebanon," bringing Israel’s losses to 20 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

In the Al Jazeera live coverage, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles in Deir Sirian and also claimed additional attacks, while the BBC described Israel’s stated aim to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to thwart future Hezbollah attacks.

The Hindu reported that United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza condemned the "unacceptable" toll from continued attacks and said diplomatic efforts now offer a critical opportunity to stop the violence as envoys began a second day of peace talks in Washington.