Israeli airstrikes killed at least 39 people across southern Lebanon on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in one of the deadliest days since President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on April 16.
The deadliest single strike hit the southern town of Saksakiyeh, killing at least seven people including a child, and wounding 15 others including three more children. The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted “Hezbollah terrorists operating from within a structure used for military purposes,” acknowledging civilian harm and stating the incident was under review.
In a particularly harrowing incident in Nabatieh, an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle carrying a Syrian man and his 12-year-old daughter. After the pair fled the first strike, the drone attacked again — killing the father. It then targeted the girl directly a third time. She was rushed into emergency surgery.
Israel’s military also struck a highway near Beirut, approximately 20 kilometres south of the capital — outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds — and said it had hit more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the previous 24 hours. Residents of nine villages had been ordered to evacuate, though neither of the two deadliest strike locations were included in those warnings.
Hezbollah retaliated with drone attacks on northern Israel, wounding three Israeli reservists, one seriously. The group claimed responsibility for 26 separate attacks throughout the day, including strikes on Israeli military targets inside Lebanon and a drone launched toward the Meron military base.
Since March 2, Israeli strikes have killed a total of 2,795 people in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Lebanese and Israeli representatives are set to hold a new round of direct talks in Washington next week