politics
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Eight in Southern Lebanon
Lebanese authorities reported eight deaths including a girl and a Syrian national after strikes on Saksakiyeh, Nabatieh and the Saadiyat highway south of Beirut on May 9, 2026. Hezbollah responded with drones and rockets, wounding three Israeli soldiers.
May 9, 11:25 AM·2m read3 sources
France 24Audio version
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Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on May 9, 2026, killed eight people, Lebanese authorities said, testing a three-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on April 17, 2026. The deadliest strike hit the town of Saksakiyeh, where the Lebanese health ministry reported seven deaths including one girl and 15 wounded including three children.
In the city of Nabatieh, an Israeli drone first struck a motorbike carrying a Syrian national and his 12-year-old daughter.
After the pair moved away from the initial impact, the drone attacked a second time, killing the father, the ministry said. A third strike targeted the girl directly; she was critically injured and undergoing life-saving surgery on Saturday afternoon. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported three separate Israeli strikes on the Saadiyat highway, about 20 kilometres south of Beirut.
An AFP correspondent saw two destroyed cars and emergency workers along the road linking Beirut with southern Lebanon. At least one person was killed in the strikes on south Lebanon, Lebanese official media stated. The Israeli military had called on residents of nine villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate before the strikes, saying it would act forcefully against Hezbollah.
Israeli troops continue operating inside an Israeli-declared "yellow line" running around 10 kilometres inside Lebanon along the border. Residents have been warned not to return to areas inside that line. Earlier on May 9, 2026, the Israeli military said it had struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the previous 24 hours.
An Israeli attack this week on Beirut's southern suburbs killed a Hezbollah commander, the military stated. Hezbollah responded on May 9 by launching a drone targeting troops in northern Israel. The group also claimed attacks on Israeli military targets inside Lebanon using rockets and drones.
Several explosive drones were launched from Lebanon into Israeli territory, the Israeli military reported. One army reservist was severely wounded and two others were moderately injured in the drone attack. -Israeli strikes.
