Israeli attacks killed at least three people in two locations in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency, amid a wider escalation that complicated efforts to secure a US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
The agency said an Israeli drone hit a car near Kfar Tebnit, killing two people. At least one other person died in a separate Israeli strike in Zabadin. The initial report did not identify the victims or provide an Israeli account of the targets in those two incidents.
The strikes came during intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. By the following day, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said Israeli attacks since midnight had killed at least 47 people and wounded 97. Israel's military said it had struck more than 150 Hezbollah targets and killed dozens of the group's members in response to what it called ceasefire violations. Those descriptions were claims by the combatants and were not independently resolved in the published evidence.
Hezbollah said it had blocked a four-day Israeli attempt to advance further into southern Lebanon. The group described attacks on Israeli soldiers and tanks using drones, rockets and artillery near Kfar Tebnit. Israel reported that four of its soldiers, including a battalion commander, were killed in the fighting.
The Israeli military also released a map showing its forces along what it called a Yellow Line extending about 10 kilometres into Lebanon. Lebanon has demanded a withdrawal, while Israel argues its operations and occupied positions are necessary to counter Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel. The mapped area also extended into maritime territory associated with Lebanon's Qana gas project, according to legal experts cited in the report.
The escalation disrupted a diplomatic track beyond the immediate conflict. Technical talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran were delayed, with Tehran reportedly declining to send its team while Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued. US President Donald Trump said Washington expected a complete ceasefire across all fronts, including between Israel and Hezbollah.
Within Israel, some governing-party politicians urged a more forceful campaign. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made public statements demanding broader attacks, while a Likud politician said Israel should not withdraw. These were political calls, not descriptions of confirmed military policy.
The wider war had already displaced more than one million people in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli attacks since March 2 had killed at least 3,912 people and wounded 11,873.
The three deaths reported on June 18 occurred within that broader confrontation, while the continuing exchanges showed how local strikes could obstruct negotiations intended to reduce violence across the region.
