On Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, Israel's military resumed airstrikes on southern Lebanon, blaming the militant group Hezbollah for violating a ceasefire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated, "In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, the IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon," shortly after ordering residents to evacuate the southern town of Mansouri.

Lebanese state media reported that one person was killed and 11 others wounded in a separate Israeli strike. Lebanon also confirmed at least one fatality in the attacks, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire.

These developments occurred as Lebanon and Israel engaged in US-sponsored peace talks in Rome, now in their seventh round, aimed at ending months of hostilities. The negotiations focus on a framework deal agreed upon in June, which includes the disarmament of Hezbollah, a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and deployment of the Lebanese army to pilot zones near the border.

The town of Mansouri, located approximately nine kilometers south of Tyre and 10 kilometers north of Israel, has been subjected to multiple Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in recent weeks despite the ceasefire established in June.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem criticized the direct negotiations on Tuesday, stating they would bring "nothing but shame, humiliation" and successive concessions for Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Rome, called on Tehran to halt Hezbollah's operations and expressed hope that the talks would progress.

Lebanon claims that Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion since March have resulted in over 4,300 deaths. The ongoing evacuation alert for Mansouri marks the first such warning issued by Israel in weeks.

Sources