IDF and Hezbollah continue to trade blows as shaky ceasefire appears to falter in Lebanon

A reservist was seriously injured and two other reservists, including an officer, were moderately injured by a Hezbollah drone on Saturday in northern Israel, the military said. The soldiers were taken to Galilee Medical Center, where the seriously wounded soldier underwent surgery, while the two others were scheduled for operations later in the day.

Earlier Saturday, the IDF said it located and neutralized a Hezbollah explosive drone near the border with Lebanon. In a separate incident, another Hezbollah drone struck an unmanned engineering vehicle, causing damage. No casualties were reported.

The military also said several rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon were intercepted later in the day. There were no casualties in that incident.

As the IDF works to counter the increasing use of first-person-view (FPV) fiber-optic drones by Hezbollah, it has begun issuing fragmenting bullets to soldiers, Kan News reported. The ammunition is designed to break apart upon firing, increasing the likelihood of hitting incoming drones.

At the same time, the IDF has also increased the number of smart-sight systems for soldiers, which lock onto an incoming aerial threat and only allow the bullet to fire when the rifle barrel is aimed directly at the drone. 

One of the systems deployed, Arbel, is a computerized fire-control system developed by Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) that turns standard AR‑15 and M4 rifles into counter-drone weapons. 

Israel has been slow to counter the threat of fiber-optic FPV drones, first deployed militarily by both sides in the Ukraine war. Despite Ukraine’s experience in countering FPV drones, and despite Russia’s cooperation with Iran – including the provision of air defense systems and drone components later used against Israeli and U.S. positions in the Middle East – Israel has yet to reach a security agreement with Ukraine.

The tensions between the two countries were seen recently when the Ukrainian foreign minister accused Israel of allowing ships with “stolen” Ukrainian grain to dock at Israeli ports and unload the grain for sale in Israel. 

Shortly before that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited several Gulf states to discuss security agreements, with Ukraine providing training and knowledge from its experience countering Russian and Iranian drones.

Zelenskyy did not stop in Israel, and despite statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing an interest in speaking with the Ukrainian president, no such phone call has been scheduled. 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a senior IDF officer told Kan News that Hezbollah is increasingly frustrated with changes in the region due to Israeli strikes on the terror organization, along with the military action by Israel and the U.S. against Iran, which have disrupted its ties with its sponsor. 

Hezbollah is reportedly concerned that an agreement between Israel and Lebanon could isolate the group, possibly even leading to action by the Lebanese government to remove them as a political faction. 

The senior officer told Kan that Hezbollah sees their weapons as a red line and non-negotiable. 

“For them, weapons are not just a tool of war against Israel, but the backbone that gives them their political and strategic influence inside Lebanon,” the officer stated. 

Lebanese media reported that Israeli air strikes killed at least 39 people across Lebanon on Saturday, as the IDF increased strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah due to Hezbollah attacks. 

During the weekend, the 91st Division struck over 40 terror infrastructures and killed over 10 terrorists from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the IDF said Sunday morning. 

במהלך סוף השבוע: כוחות אוגדה 91 תקפו יותר מ-40 תשתיות וחיסלו יותר מ-10 מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה

במהלך סוף השבוע, חטיבת האש של אוגדה 91 תקפה יותר מ-40 תשתיות טרור וחיסלה יותר מ-10 מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שפעלו בסמוך לכוחות צה"ל בדרום לבנון. בין התשתיות שהותקפו: מבנים… pic.twitter.com/ZDfx34RkgT

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 10, 2026

The military also struck Hezbollah rocket launchers which had been used to launch attacks on Israeli forces and at northern Israel. The IDF also struck Hezbollah positions outside of southern Lebanon, including a site in the Bekaa Valley used for the manufacture of weapons. 

ביממה האחרונה: צה"ל תקף יותר מ-85 תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במספר מרחבים בלבנון

צה"ל ממשיך לפעול להסרת איומים על אזרחי ישראל וכוחות צה"ל בדרום לבנון.

במהלך היממה האחרונה, צה"ל תקף מהאוויר ומהיבשה, יותר מ-85 תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה. בין התשתיות שהותקפו: מחסני אמצעי… pic.twitter.com/2bpoxtlstY

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 9, 2026

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that three people were killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle near the towns of Burj Rahal and Aabbasiyyeh on Saturday. 

In another incident, the news agency said a Syrian man and his 12-year-old daughter were killed in Israeli drone strikes in the area of Nabatieh. The IDF said it was investigating the incident.