Key Points
- Lebanese leadership calls strike a violation of sovereignty and an attack on the state
- UN peacekeepers say strikes represent serious breaches of Lebanese territorial integrity
- Diplomatic mediation efforts involving Pakistan gain traction amid Iran–US engagement
ISLAMABAD: An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has killed three Lebanese soldiers, escalating tensions along the Israel–Lebanon border as diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict remain fragile and uneven.
Lebanon’s military said the vehicle carrying two officers and a soldier was struck on the road between Khardali and Nabatieh, an area frequently affected by Israeli operations targeting positions associated with Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said the vehicle was operating in a designated combat zone.
The Israeli army claimed it was “moving suspiciously,” adding that its operations are directed against Hezbollah and not the Lebanese armed forces. The incident, it said, is under review.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called it a “heinous crime” and an attack on all Lebanese citizens.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) said such attacks constitute serious violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and urged restraint amid rising cross-border violence.
Israel has expanded evacuation orders in southern and eastern Lebanon and said it has struck around 150 Hezbollah-related targets over the past two days.
Lebanese state media reported multiple airstrikes across southern regions, including Tyre and Nabatieh.
Casualty reports also include civilians, with Lebanon’s health ministry confirming deaths and injuries in separate strikes in southern towns.
A nurse was also killed en route to work in Tyre, according to hospital sources.
Hezbollah has vowed retaliation, saying its fighters targeted Israeli positions near the border. The group accused Beirut of failing to resist external pressure in ongoing diplomatic channels.
Amid the escalation, Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal travelled to Pakistan for talks linked to mediation efforts involving discussions between Iran and the United States, according to Pakistani media.
Diplomatic engagement continues in parallel with intensified military activity, as efforts to revive ceasefire arrangements remain stalled and cross-border strikes persist.
