As UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk visits Beirut, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declared the country remains committed to the “framework deal” they reached with Israel in recent weeks, but warned that the ongoing Israeli attacks may hinder their ability to meet goals.
Aoun criticized Israel for its demolition of civilian homes and for its attacks on religious and World Heritage sites, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed to cooperate with Türk’s investigation into Israeli war crimes.
Meanwhile, artillery and drone strikes continued to pound Lebanon’s south, with heavy attacks reported on the village of Markaba in the Marjayoun District. The attacks set fires across the area, including both the outskirts of Markaba and Tallouseh.
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
Marjayoun had been the main target for the past several days, but renewed strikes in the area around the town of Shebaa are also being reported now, as well as Ali al-Taher in the Nabatieh District.
Türk called for an end to the Israeli occupation as well as to the destruction of private homes. He added that the deliberate demolition of homes “raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that he intends to reject any US or other calls to withdraw from Lebanon, or from the other countries they presently occupy militarily. Netayahu makes these comments every day or two, but this one is seen as particularly significant coming ahead of a planned trip to Washington to meet with President Trump.
