Israeli strike severs last bridge linking southern Lebanon to rest of country

On April 16, 2026, an Israeli strike severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, a Lebanese security official told Reuters. The Times of Israel wrote that 11 people died in Lebanon strikes, and the Associated Press wrote that consecutive Israeli strikes killed four Lebanese medics. The IDF said it razed 70 Hezbollah sites in Bint Jbeil and repeated a broad evacuation warning for southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fired rockets at Haifa suburbs and rockets and drones at Western Galilee.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect. Netanyahu said 'We are not leaving' and that Israeli forces will hold their positions in southern Lebanon, and the Times of Israel wrote that troops remain deployed there during the ceasefire. Die Presse wrote that Trump forced the ten-day pause.