Conflict & Security
Israel says it killed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Saturday that it killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and that an Israeli soldier was moderately injured, despite a ceasefire.
The military said its forces identified Hezbollah fighters overnight inside what Israel calls a security zone in southern Lebanon, an area occupied by Israeli forces. It said soldiers struck them “in order to remove the threat”.
The injured soldier was evacuated to hospital for treatment, the military said.
Hezbollah did not comment when contacted by AFP journalists in Beirut. The group has not claimed any attacks since June 20.
A US-sponsored framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in late June aims to end hostilities. Under it, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from “pilot zones” inside Lebanon where Lebanese forces will later deploy.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the deal and refuses to disarm, while no timetable has been set for Israel's full withdrawal.
Violence has declined since a preliminary US-Iran deal in June and the Lebanon-Israel agreement, but Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in the south. Lebanon's army last week condemned ongoing Israeli military activities that it said were preventing its full deployment under the framework deal.
Since the war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in early March, Israel's military has reported 38 soldiers and one civilian contractor killed.
Update
The latest Israeli military account says several Hezbollah fighters were killed, without giving the earlier specific figure of three.
The military said the fighters were identified overnight inside what Israel calls a security zone in southern Lebanon.
The latest account describes the injured Israeli as a soldier and says he was moderately injured and evacuated to hospital.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 16:26:25 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military said it killed three Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 16:07:52 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military said it killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 16:00:54 UTC.
Update
Hezbollah did not comment when contacted by AFP journalists in Beirut.
The source states Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since June 20.
A US-sponsored framework signed in late June calls for Lebanon's army to disarm Hezbollah and for Israeli forces to withdraw from pilot zones where Lebanese forces would deploy.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the deal and refuses to disarm.
Lebanon's army last week condemned Israeli military activities that it said were preventing its full deployment under the framework.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 12:17:22 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military said the injured soldier was an officer.
The army described the injury as moderate.
The military said the injury happened during operational activity in southern Lebanon overnight Saturday.
The army specified to AFP that the soldier was hurt during a close-quarters encounter.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 11:46:51 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The latest Israeli military account does not specify the exact number of Hezbollah fighters it says were killed.
Hezbollah did not comment on the Israeli military account.
Source
AFP news report published on .