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Israeli Strikes Wound Dozens in Lebanon as Talks in US Enter Second Day

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 15, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Wound Dozens in Lebanon as Talks in US Enter Second Day

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 15, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on May 15, 2026. (AFP)

Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon that it said targeted the Hezbollah group on Friday, wounding 37 people as the two countries' envoys started a second day of peace talks in Washington. 

United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza condemned the "unacceptable" toll from continued attacks, saying that "diplomatic efforts now offer a critical opportunity to stop the violence". 

A truce in the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has been in place since April 17, but it has not stopped the fighting, with hundreds killed in strikes since then and both sides accusing the other of violations. 

"The army has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said in a statement. 

An AFP correspondent reported a series of strikes, two of them near Tyre city, while state media said another targeted a center run by a local NGO near a hospital. 

Lebanon's health ministry said the strikes on the Tyre district wounded at least 37 people, including six hospital personnel, nine women and four children. 

Hafez Ramadan, a resident near the building targeted by the airstrike, said the building housed displaced people who had fled their towns due to the war, and was adjacent to a hotel where the displaced were also staying. 

"There are only women, children and the elderly here. Because of this strike, people have been displaced again." 

The Israeli army had earlier issued evacuation warnings for five towns and villages in and around the southern city. 

It later issued a new evacuation warning for five other towns across the south. 

- 'Unacceptable' toll - 

In a separate statement, the military said an Israeli soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the number of Israeli soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah since early March to 19. A civilian contractor was also killed. 

Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported other strikes on locations in the south not included in the Israeli evacuation warnings. 

Hezbollah meanwhile claimed several attacks on Israeli troops in at least six southern Lebanese towns. 

Riza said "the reality on the ground in Lebanon has been deeply alarming", adding that "airstrikes and demolitions continue daily, with an unacceptable toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure". 

But he expressed his hope that the Lebanon-Israel talks "will pave the way toward a political solution". 

Representatives from Lebanon and Israel, officially at war for decades, resumed talks at the State Department in Washington shortly after 9:00 am (1300 GMT), one diplomat said. 

The US described the first day of talks in Washington on Thursday as positive, but neither Lebanon or Israel have commented. 

Lebanon hopes that the round of negotiations in Washington on Friday will end with an extension of the ceasefire and an agreement from Israel to halt its attacks. 

The truce is set to expire on Sunday if an extension is not agreed. 

- 'Humiliating' talks - 

Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. 

Israeli attacks since then have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since the truce took effect, according to Lebanese authorities. 

The negotiating teams in Washington are being led by Lebanon's Simon Karam and Israel's Yechiel Leiter, both political veterans with entrenched views. 

A former ambassador to Washington and independent politician, 76-year-old Karam is known for his defense of Lebanese unity in a country riven by sectarian divisions. 

Leiter is Israel's ambassador to the United States and a longtime ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and is well-versed in Israeli settler politics, conservative activism and hard-edged diplomacy. 

Lebanon is under heavy US and Israeli pressure to disarm Hezbollah. 

Israeli troops have invaded parts of southern Lebanon since the start of the war, carrying out widespread demolitions of villages over the past weeks. 

Hezbollah, meanwhile, rejects outright any direct engagement between the two countries. 

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati said Friday that Beirut "going to direct, humiliating negotiations with the Israeli enemy is not a separate issue from a comprehensive conspiracy against the nation, its sovereignty and its resistance" at a time when "the south is being destroyed and martyrs are being killed daily". 

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Arab World

MWL Condemns Continued Israeli Attacks in the Region, Incursion into Syrian Territory

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL Condemns Continued Israeli Attacks in the Region, Incursion into Syrian Territory

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned the continued Israeli attacks in the region, most recently the incursion into Syrian territory and the artillery shelling of Quneitra and Daraa governorates, SPA reported.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa denounced the attacks and the terror they inflicted on civilians.

He warned that such actions threaten security and stability in the region amid continued violations of international law and norms.

Al-Issa reaffirmed the MWL's full solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic against all threats to its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
-- SPA

Arab World

Arab Water Ministers Agree on Roadmap for Secure Regional Water Future

The agreement came during the high-level ministerial session chaired by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley - SPA
The agreement came during the high-level ministerial session chaired by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley - SPA
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Arab Water Ministers Agree on Roadmap for Secure Regional Water Future

The agreement came during the high-level ministerial session chaired by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley - SPA
The agreement came during the high-level ministerial session chaired by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley - SPA

Arab water ministers agreed to formulate a roadmap to enhance joint Arab action toward a secure water future for the region by reviewing key challenges and opportunities, as well as Arab priorities in non-conventional water resources, nature-based solutions, training, institutional twinning, financing mechanisms, and inclusive governance, SPA reported.

The agreement came during the high-level ministerial session chaired by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, with the participation of water ministers and their representatives from 11 Arab countries, in addition to several regional and international partners.

Held under the theme “Innovative Solutions, Financing, and Inclusive Governance for a Secure Water Future in the Arab Region,” the session was part of the Seventh Arab Water Forum, one of the main events of the inaugural Saudi Water Week taking place in Jeddah from June 28 to July 2.

The ministerial session discussed the growing challenges facing Arab countries in managing water resources amid climate change and increasing demand driven by population growth and urban expansion, as well as mounting pressures to provide food and energy while protecting the environment.

Participants emphasized the need to move beyond fragmented solutions and isolated national reforms toward integrated investments and regional partnerships capable of accelerating innovative solutions, securing financing, and strengthening inclusive governance, leading to a secure and equitable water future for the Arab region.

Arab World

Yemeni Military Chief: We Rebuilt the Army, Military Decision-Making Is Now Unified

Bin Aziz said the relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond coordination and has become a genuine partnership on the ground (Saba)
Bin Aziz said the relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond coordination and has become a genuine partnership on the ground (Saba)
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Yemeni Military Chief: We Rebuilt the Army, Military Decision-Making Is Now Unified

Bin Aziz said the relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond coordination and has become a genuine partnership on the ground (Saba)
Bin Aziz said the relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond coordination and has become a genuine partnership on the ground (Saba)

Yemen's Chief of the General Staff and Commander of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Sagheer bin Aziz, said the military leadership and decision-making process have been unified as part of efforts to bring all military formations under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.

He revealed that the Yemeni armed forces have completed about 80 percent of their operational and administrative arrangements since the 2022 truce began, adding that the military has continued over the past several years to rebuild its units, improve combat readiness, and strengthen its capabilities in confronting the Iran-backed Houthi group.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat from Marib, bin Aziz said the effort included reorganizing military units, defining their sectors and missions in line with military standards, training and qualifying large numbers of armed forces personnel, and restructuring administrative systems in accordance with the Armed Forces Service Law.

The army chief stressed that "the leadership is now unified, the military decision-making process is unified, and we are on the right path toward bringing all military formations under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff."

Restructuring

He added: "Since the truce began in 2022, we have made excellent progress in both operational and administrative arrangements. We reorganized military units, their sectors, and their missions in accordance with military standards. We also trained and qualified large numbers of armed forces personnel and restructured the administrative framework of military units in line with the law."

Bin Aziz explained that since 2015 the Yemeni military has fought a different kind of war from any it had faced before. The armed forces were assembled from former army units as well as newly established formations while fighting a conflict that continued until 2022, during which the military suffered "tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded."

He continued: "The army withstood an arsenal backed by Iran. There were setbacks, but our resilience was greater because it preserved what remained of the Republic of Yemen and the institutions of the state."

According to bin Aziz, one of the most significant achievements in recent years has been the introduction of a smart ID card system for armed forces personnel, which has now been implemented in about 95 percent of military units. He described it as an important step in eliminating overlap and duplication within the armed forces.

He said: "This is an important achievement because it removes doubts and concerns about overlapping units, duplication, and related issues. We are satisfied with what has been accomplished so far, and the work is continuing."

Integrating Military Formations

On integrating military formations, bin Aziz said unifying the administration of the armed forces is one of the most important requirements for success on the battlefield and for achieving security and stability in Yemen. He noted that the process requires time and multiple steps to incorporate the various formations under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.

He added: "Reforming the military establishment and unifying its administration is a goal shared by everyone. We believe that unifying the military's command structure is one of the fundamental pillars for achieving success in the battle and securing stability in the Republic of Yemen."

He said work on this effort is continuing under the leadership of the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, the supreme commander of the armed forces, together with the council's members. He stressed that the most important achievement at this stage is that the leadership has become unified, both within Yemen and across the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy.

He said: "What matters to us now is that the leadership has become unified and the military decision-making process is unified. We are on the right path toward bringing all military formations under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff."

Lieutenant General Sagheer bin Aziz, Chief of the General Staff (Saba)

Lessons Learned

Asked about the military lessons drawn from years of war, Yemen's army chief said the nature of warfare has changed dramatically, with drones, ballistic missiles, electronic jamming systems, and smart weapons becoming decisive factors in modern warfare.

At the same time, he stressed that technology does not eliminate the role of ground forces. While smart weapons may influence offensive operations and the scale of losses, he said controlling and securing territory ultimately depends on personnel on the ground.

He said: "War today has become a different kind of conflict. Drones, ballistic missiles, electronic jamming systems, and smart weapons have become the decisive factors. But no matter how advanced technology becomes, ground forces, particularly the infantry, remain among the most important factors in success on the battlefield."

He added: "Drones, ballistic missiles, and smart systems cannot remain on the ground and secure it. The infantry soldier remains the decisive factor in holding territory, and controlling the ground is more important than any other weapon."

Modern Technologies

On the use of modern technologies, bin Aziz said the Yemeni armed forces are making "good" use of these capabilities. He said the military has specialized units for drones, smart weapons, and electronic jamming systems, in addition to experienced personnel who have gained extensive battlefield expertise over years of war.

He said: "Our training and qualification in this field are of the highest standard. We have specialized units for drones, smart weapons, and electronic jamming systems, along with highly capable personnel who possess extensive battlefield experience as well as advanced training."

Saudi Partnership and Support

The Yemeni army chief praised Saudi Arabia's support in military training and qualification, noting that the Kingdom has trained hundreds of Yemeni military personnel across various fields.

He said: "Our brothers in Saudi Arabia are also committed to training and qualification. We highly value and appreciate the continued military cooperation they have provided."

He added that the relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond coordination and has become "a genuine partnership on the ground" across multiple fields, particularly in confronting Houthi threats that target not only Yemen but also Saudi Arabia and the Arab region as a whole.

He continued: "The Saudis have stood with us through every circumstance and at every stage. We can never fully repay them for the support and cooperation they have provided in what we regard as our sacred battle against the Houthi group."

Bin Aziz stressed that Saudi Arabia's support for Yemen is not driven by political or economic objectives, but by its conviction that the security of Yemen and Saudi Arabia is indivisible.

He said: "We know that Saudi Arabia has no political or economic ambitions in its cooperation with the Republic of Yemen. Its primary objective is the belief that its security is inseparable from Yemen's, and Yemen's security is inseparable from its own. This is a sincere, brotherly stance and the response of generous men standing by their brothers in Yemen."

Concluding the interview, the Yemeni army chief said the current phase marks a transition from coordination to a genuine partnership.

He said: "Today, we are no longer in a phase of coordination alone. We are in a phase of genuine partnership on the ground, militarily, economically, politically, and socially, to defeat the enemy that threatens Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the entire Arab world."