At least 22 killed, 38 injured as Israel, Hezbollah defy U.S. peace deal
June 19 (UPI) -- At least 18 people were killed and 33 injured overnight in a wave of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the country's health ministry said. The Israeli military said four of its troops were killed and five injured.
The bulk of Israeli fire was concentrated on Nabatieh district, 15 miles southeast of Sidon, with Lebanese state media describing the bombardment as some of the heaviest since cross border fighting flared on March 2, shortly after the United States and Israel launched their airborne offensive against Iran.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized what he called Israel's "dangerous and reprehensible escalation," warning it threatened to sabotage current efforts to get a cease-fire in place and end the war.
The Israeli military said it killed dozens of members of Iran-proxy Hezbollah in attacks on 80 targets connected to the armed group while Hezbollah said fighters laying in wait south of Nabatieh hit three IDF tanks with guided missiles and used rockets and artillery to target Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to avenge the killing of troops, saying that he had ordered the military to strike back against Hezbollah "with full force."
"My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks," he said.
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir went much farther, calling for Israel to retaliate with overwhelming force to raze Lebanon to the ground and saying that for every tear shed by an Israeli mother "a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep."
"All of Lebanon must burn," said Ben-Gvir.
The clashes overnight came as 60-day talks building upon a freshly-inked agreement halting the U.S.-Iran war, including a permanent end to the conflict in Lebanon, that were due to get underway Friday at a Swiss alpine resort, were abruptly called off.
Netanyahu said Friday that Israeli forces would remain deployed in southern Lebanon "for as long as necessary" in contrast with statements by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday that there would be "a complete cease-fire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel," and calling on all Middle East actors to uphold "their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold."
Ben-Gvir said that while Israel respected American aims, the country had to show the world that the "blood of our sons and the security of our citizens" were not up for negotiation.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who had been due to attend the talks in Switzerland, rebuked critics of the Iran deal within the Israeli government, saying Thursday that they should "wake up and smell the reality" and reminding them that the weapons they relied on for their defense had "been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars."
"If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world," he said.
Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 9:25 AM.