THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE — Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed at least six people, including three paramedics working at a health clinic, just hours after Israeli and Lebanese envoys concluded a round of talks in Washington with a deal to extend a ceasefire for 45 days.
Quoting The Guardian, Lebanese authorities said an air strike on Friday (15/5/2026) hit a clinic run by the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee, killing six people including three paramedics. The Israeli military said it had killed Hezbollah fighters who were preparing to fire rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
State-run Lebanese media reported at least five villages in southern Lebanon were hit, and the Israeli military confirmed Saturday that it targeted what it called “Hezbollah infrastructure” in southern Lebanon.
The 45-day ceasefire extension was agreed to by Israeli and Lebanese envoys after rounds of talks in Washington, while establishing a US-supervised security mechanism between the two armed forces. Hezbollah strongly rejected the negotiations.
Also Read: KAI Gives Sanctions to Truck Drivers Who Cause the Temper of the Papandayan Train
Israel itself has only partially complied with the ceasefire that Trump ordered on April 17, limiting attacks to Beirut and northern Lebanon in general while continuing to concentrate its military operations in the south, where Israeli forces continue to clash with Hezbollah fighters.
Along with the attacks in Lebanon, Israel confirmed on Saturday that it had killed Hamas military leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad in a targeted attack in Gaza on Friday. Al-Haddad is described by the Israeli military as one of the senior Hamas military commanders who directed the planning and execution of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 250 people taken as hostages.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem confirmed the killing via social media. Al-Haddad’s family also confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Six other people including his wife and daughter were also killed in the attack. Both of his sons had been killed earlier in the war.
Al-Haddad joined Hamas when the group was founded in the 1980s and was a member of the Hamas Military Council, a group of top commanders that played a key role in the attacks that sparked the war. Israel’s army chief of staff called his killing a significant operation and said Israel would continue to hunt down its enemies.
Also Read: Respecting MUI, Ministry of Haj Continues to Facilitate Animal Slaughter for Hajj Dams in Indonesia
Quoting The Guardian, reports in US and Israeli media said Trump had been briefed on his military options in Iran, should he decide to break the five-week-old ceasefire and continue attacks to force concessions at the negotiating table. Pakistan-led mediation has failed to bring diplomatic progress in more than a month since Islamabad brokered a ceasefire in Iran’s war, with the US and Iran’s negotiating positions still very far apart.
Israel also accused Hamas of violating a fragile eight-month-old ceasefire in Gaza by refusing to disarm. Hamas in turn blamed Israel for failing to comply with the first phase of the ceasefire, resuming airstrikes, and secretly moving the agreed demarcation line westward into the Hamas-controlled part of Gaza. New attacks in southern Lebanon triggered a new wave of civilian displacement from the region.***
