Lebanon’s death toll from Israeli strikes surpassed 3,000 on Monday, the same day a 45-day ceasefire extension took effect, as Israeli forces and Hezbollah continued exchanging fire across southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Lebanon’s health ministry set the toll at 3,020 since fighting began March 2, including 292 women and 211 children. More than 400 of those deaths occurred after the initial ceasefire took effect on April 17.
The extension followed a third round of US-mediated talks in Washington. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the negotiations as “highly productive” and confirmed both sides agreed to a framework including “full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Military delegations are set to meet directly on May 29.
On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June… pic.twitter.com/Dcs9NJDdN5
— Tommy Pigott (@statedeptspox) May 15, 2026
Overnight, an Israeli strike on an apartment in the Baalbek district killed Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander for Lebanon’s Bekaa region, and his 17-year-old daughter, Rama. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed targeting Abd al-Halim, saying he had led PIJ fighters alongside Hezbollah and directed attack plots against IDF forces. The IDF said it took steps to “mitigate the risk of harm to civilians” before the strike but made no mention of his daughter.
🔴ELIMINATED: Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, the Commander of the Islamic Jihad’s Beqaa region in Lebanon, in a strike in the area of Baalbek.
Al-Halim led the integration of Islamic Jihad terrorists into combat operations alongside Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and operated to… pic.twitter.com/4E4lBerxDd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 18, 2026
The IDF issued evacuation warnings for the villages of Borj al-Shamali and Debaal in the Tyre district, as well as Harouf in the Nabatiyeh district before conducting additional strikes. Israel said it hit more than 30 Hezbollah sites in the preceding 24 hours, targeting weapons warehouses, observation posts, and buildings used to coordinate attacks.
Hezbollah said it launched an explosive drone at an Iron Dome air defense battery in Israel’s Galilee region. The IDF confirmed intercepting aerial targets over southern Lebanon, with sirens triggered in border communities.
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced inside Lebanon since fighting began, according to the Danish Refugee Council.
