The individuals attacked by Israel in the town of Nabatieh were described as an “armed terror cell” that posed an urgent threat to Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the Israeli military. They were, according to Israel, in the “security zone” held by the invading ground forces in the neighboring country.
The Israeli military attached a very low-resolution image to the statement said to show a "terrorist"; this cannot be verified at this stage.
From the Lebanese side, the incident is described as Israeli forces firing at a group of civilians who were clearing a road and recovering victims from rubble after an Israeli airstrike that took place last week.
“Dug up the dead”
The Israelis "opened fire with automatic weapons at them while they were standing near an excavator that was unblocking the road," writes Lebanon's state news agency NNA.
The Shia movement Hezbollah - Israel's primary opponent in the war - gave a similar account, saying it was a "clear violation of the ceasefire."
Lebanese authorities and media report that two people have been killed by Israeli fire, the first fatalities reported from the war in Lebanon in three days.
A local authority leader in the community of Hadatha told the newspaper L'Orient Le Jour about a separate incident in which Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on a civilian funeral ceremony. The event had been coordinated with the Red Cross and the Lebanese military's ceasefire monitoring unit, he said.
There are no records of deaths there.
Israel: Freedom of action
US Vice President JD Vance has spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the possibilities for de-escalation, and about the contact group to be formed to preserve the ceasefire.
"We truly believe that we can reach a point where Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty are protected, and Israel's security is protected," Vance said as he summarized the initial negotiations with Iran for a group of reporters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement at about the same time saying Israeli forces in southern Lebanon have "full freedom of action" to avert perceived threats.
Iran has presented it as a condition that Israel leave Lebanon completely - and as a crucial test for the agreements. The declaration of intent with the US states that Lebanon's "territorial integrity and sovereignty" must be maintained.
Over the past 50 years, Israel has entered Lebanon with ground forces on seven occasions.
Israel's opponent in Lebanon, the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, is a militia and political party. It was founded partly with Iranian help after Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon in the 1980s. It acts as a proxy for Iran in conflicts in the Middle East and has been partly labeled a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.
The long-running conflict flared up again in connection with the Gaza War. In 2024, a ceasefire was reached that required both Hezbollah and Israel to withdraw from a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The parties accused each other of violating it.
Fighting broke out again in the spring of 2026 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the country's war with Iran. Israeli ground forces have advanced further into Lebanon, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and there have been warnings of a permanent Israeli occupation.
