9 stories for 2026-03-16 · Armed conflict, civilian harm & humanitarian access · Lebanon
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in multiple civilian deaths, including 12 people killed in a strike on a primary healthcare center according to WHO leadership, and eight people killed in a residential home. Witnesses reported the deceased were civilians rather than armed combatants, though Israeli military stated it was targeting militant infrastructure.
The Israeli military announced on Monday that it has begun limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting what it describes as key Hezbollah strongholds. Israeli strikes have killed 826 people in Lebanon according to Lebanese official figures since the conflict began.
Israeli airstrikes targeted several towns in southern Lebanon, including Qatrani, Majdal Selm, and Aitaat, killing 10 people and wounding 13 others according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strikes occurred as fighting continued along the Israel-Lebanon border, with reports indicating evacuation warnings were issued before the attacks.
Military escalation persists in Lebanon following renewed clashes, with Israeli airstrikes concentrated on border towns in the south causing deaths and injuries. The southern suburb of Beirut has seen a relative calm amid Israeli evacuation warnings, while clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue along the border.
Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Beirut, causing alarm among residents living amid the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Journalists and France Press agency staff in Beirut reported hearing loud explosions repeated four times in quick succession, followed by observations of aircraft in the capital's airspace.
Lebanon-based Hezbollah announced it carried out five operations targeting Israeli military positions and forces in southern Lebanon beginning on Monday. The group stated the attacks were defensive measures and specified that rocket strikes targeted Israeli troop concentrations at locations including Kafariyufal and Honin in northern occupied territory.
UNIFIL announced that three of its positions in southern Lebanon came under fire in separate incidents on Sunday. The organization indicated the attacks were likely carried out by armed groups not affiliated with the state.
The Israeli military said Sunday that it killed a leader of Hamas in a cave strike on the Sharhabil area near Sidon in southern Lebanon. The military also said that the brother of the executor of an attack on a synagogue in Michigan was killed in an Israeli cave in Lebanon this month, and that this person was a leader in Hezbollah.
According to Al-Akhbar, the health ministry has alleged that ambulances are being used for military purposes, which it characterizes as justification for alleged crimes.