At least two people were killed today as Israeli artillery continued to shell southern Lebanon, and reports were that Israeli ground troops advanced further north into Lebanese territory as the conflict continues to be a major stressor on the US-Iran peace deal.
The number of Israeli strikes on Lebanon seemed to markedly decline on Monday, giving people high hopes that the war might indeed be winding down, though by Monday afternoon Israeli officials were vowing the war would continue and deadly strikes picked up again on Tuesday.
Multiple Israeli drone strikes were reported in Tyre District causing injuries to locals, though airstrikes and artillery seemed to focus on Nabatieh District, with Israeli ground troops active in the area and continuing to advance further north.
Smoke rises in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel, June 17, 2026. REUTERS/Shir Torem
IDF troops had already gone deeper than the leadership suggested they would during the invasion in March. Officials initially presented the operation as going to the Litani River, already a substantial part of southern Lebanon, but they since expanded well north of the river, and toward the Zahrani River, particularly around Nabatieh District.
Hezbollah continues to oppose Israeli advancements, not just at the northernmost parts of the warzone but also near the border itself. Hezbollah launched a drone attack on Israeli troops in the southern part of Lebanon, wounding at least five IDF soldiers, according to officials.
Israeli military activity was reportedly the highest in Nabatieh, Jezzine and Marjayoun Districts overnight. IDF attack helicopters were seen in the area of Beaufort Castle, a Crusader-era castle Israel seized earlier in the war.
Some Lebanese displaced have tried to return home after the US-Iran deal’s announcement, though they’ve been warned against doing so and the continued strikes suggest the war is not on the brink of ending.
