Israeli strike on village in eastern Lebanon kills 12, as Israel calls up more troops there

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - May 26, 2026 10:29 pm IST - Beirut Smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Kfar Joz, Lebanon, on May 26, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, state media said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026), as an Israeli official said the military had called up more troops to Lebanon. The strike hit the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley late Monday (May 25), according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. It came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorised more intensive strikes targeting the Hezbollah militant group across Lebanon. The Israeli military did not comment on this particular strike, but said Monday (May 25) that it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon. An Israeli security official said the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Rescue workers say that a dozen bodies were pulled out of the rubble following an intense wave of overnight strikes targeting swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon. The intensified attacks come three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are set to meet in Washington for direct talks. Hezbollah is attacking Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israeli towns, and has vowed to continue fighting until Israel stops its daily airstrikes and withdraws its troops from the country. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has boasted that it is using new fibre-optic drones that Israeli troops have struggled to intercept, hitting both Israeli troops and northern border villages. Israel has updated its defensive guidelines in line with the recent developments in its northern areas, telling people not to gather in large numbers. “What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity. We will smite them hip and thigh,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media Monday (May 25) ahead of the strikes. The Lebanese government hopes that the direct talks with Israel, opposed by Hezbollah, will lead to a ceasefire. Over a million people in Lebanon have been displaced in the war, which was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran. 3,185 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Over 9,600 others have been wounded. The intensified strikes have brought fear in Lebanon of a renewed full-scale war, leaving the capital exposed to possible strikes again. “By just saying a few words on TV, he [Netanyahu] causes everyone to panic and flee their homes," said Tony Aboud, in Beirut's bustling Hamra district. "I don't know what's going to happen and how long we can live like this.” Israel-US strikes on Iran / Iran / war / unrest, conflicts and war Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Israeli strike on village in eastern Lebanon kills 12, as Israel calls up more troops there

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Israeli strike on village in eastern Lebanon kills 12, as Israel calls up more troops there

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