Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said the victims included a school principal, her mother, a foreign domestic worker and a Syrian laborer. According to the agency, they were traveling back after inspecting their family home in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa when their vehicle was struck.

Israel has continued carrying out intermittent strikes across southern Lebanon, particularly in the Nabatieh region, since a ceasefire took effect roughly two weeks ago. Israeli authorities have generally said such operations target Hezbollah fighters and military infrastructure.

Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

The truce forms part of a broader regional arrangement reached last month through an agreement signed by the United States and Iran aimed at ending the wider conflict. The accord established a ceasefire in Lebanon that came into effect on June 21.

Days later, following talks in Washington, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a United States-backed framework intended to pave the way toward a permanent cessation of hostilities.

The proposed framework calls for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces into the area and the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The plan envisages implementation beginning in two pilot areas but does not specify a timetable for a full Israeli withdrawal.

Hezbollah has rejected the framework agreement.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that the continued presence of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon was preventing the Lebanese army from deploying throughout the area.

According to a statement issued by his office, Aoun said international pressure was needed to secure an Israeli withdrawal, arguing that the continued occupation undermined the authority of the Lebanese state and delayed efforts to establish the conditions necessary for a just and lasting peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect communities in northern Israel and ensure the country’s security.

Lebanese authorities say Israeli military operations since March 2 have killed around 4,300 people and displaced more than one million residents. The United Nations has said that more than 640,000 displaced people have returned to their homes since June 22, although security conditions remain fragile in parts of southern Lebanon.

Addressing an urgent debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said conditions in Al-Obeid showed unmistakable signs of a worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis as civilians remained trapped by prolonged conflict.

“The signs from Al-Obeid are clear and unmistakable: Another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the capital of the strategic state of North Kordofan,” Turk told delegates.

The emergency session was convened at the request of Britain after its representatives warned of the growing risk of large-scale atrocities following reports that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters were massing around Al-Obeid, raising fears of a major escalation in the conflict.

According to Turk, civilians in the city have endured siege-like conditions for approximately 18 months as clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF continue across surrounding areas. He said access to clean drinking water has reached a critical level while repeated drone attacks have further endangered the civilian population.

The UN human rights office documented at least 15 drone strikes in Al-Obeid and nearby areas between June 6 and June 28. Those attacks killed at least 45 civilians and injured another 41, according to figures presented during the Human Rights Council debate.

Turk said the continuing violence, combined with deteriorating humanitarian conditions, underscored the urgent need for international attention and action to protect civilians caught in the conflict.

Al-Obeid occupies a strategically important position in North Kordofan and has become an increasingly significant battleground as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF compete for territorial control. Fighting around the city has compounded existing humanitarian challenges, leaving residents with limited access to essential services.

The latest warning comes amid mounting international concern over Sudan’s conflict, which has triggered widespread displacement, severe food insecurity and repeated allegations of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

Britain said the emergency debate was necessary because of growing evidence that the concentration of RSF forces around Al-Obeid could lead to further attacks on civilians and a significant deterioration in the humanitarian situation.

The UN Human Rights Council discussion focused on the need to prevent further civilian casualties and address worsening conditions in North Kordofan as hostilities continue between Sudan’s rival military forces.

The outbreak, Sudan’s third major cholera wave in three years, began only two months after authorities declared the previous epidemic over in March. Between July 2024 and March 2026, more than 124,400 infections and approximately 3,500 deaths were recorded during the last outbreak, according to Sudanese government data

WHO Sudan Representative Dr. Shible Sahbani said cholera had historically appeared in cyclical outbreaks every three years but has become increasingly persistent because of prolonged conflict, restricted humanitarian access and shortages of essential medical supplies.

The latest outbreak was officially declared this week in West Kordofan, a strategic region divided between areas controlled by the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Ongoing fighting and repeated drone strikes have severely disrupted humanitarian operations and commercial access to the region.

Health officials warned that conditions are likely to deteriorate further as Sudan enters its annual rainy season, when flooding contaminates water sources, hampers aid deliveries and increases the risk of waterborne diseases among displaced communities lacking access to safe drinking water and sanitatio
The WHO also reported signs that the outbreak is spreading into neighboring North Kordofan, where nearly 300 suspected cases and three deaths have been reported.

The United Nations has warned that RSF forces are preparing a major ground assault on the state capital, El-Obeid, while continued attacks on electricity infrastructure have disrupted access to drinking water and other essential services.

More than three years of conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF have devastated the country’s healthcare system. According to the WHO, around 40 percent of health facilities are completely non-functional, while most of the remaining facilities operate only partially, limiting their ability to provide essential medical services.

Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that Sudan faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, with widespread displacement, food insecurity and disease outbreaks compounding the impact of prolonged conflict across large parts of the country.

The Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups aligned with the Sudanese military, said in a statement late Monday that its fighters had seized full control of Kulbus in West Darfur following what it described as decisive battles against RSF forces. The group said it inflicted heavy losses on the paramilitary force and captured military vehicles and weapons.

The RSF has not commented on the claim, and Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments.

Kulbus occupies a strategic position along a key corridor near the Chadian border, roughly midway between the army-controlled border town of Al-Tina in North Darfur and El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, which remains under RSF control.

The Sudanese military has retained limited positions along the border with Chad after losing much of the Darfur region to the RSF, which consolidated its control following the capture of El-Fasher, the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur.

A pro-army popular resistance group accused the RSF of using Kulbus as a logistical hub and staging point for fighters allegedly crossing from Chad into western Sudan. Chad has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF, although Sudanese authorities have continued to accuse its neighbor of facilitating assistance to the paramilitary group.

Video circulated by local media appeared to show men in Sudanese army uniforms celebrating in front of a sign identifying Kulbus in West Darfur. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.

Fighting has intensified along the frontier between North and West Darfur in recent months as government forces seek to secure supply routes and strengthen their presence along the border.
The army-controlled town of Al-Tina has faced repeated RSF attacks this year and has been identified by the United Nations as an area at risk of famine.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have also warned of a possible RSF offensive against El-Obeid in neighboring Kordofan, raising concerns that the city could face a similar assault to the one that resulted in the fall of El-Fasher.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has entered its fourth year, killing tens of thousands of people, displacing millions and fueling what humanitarian agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger crisis.

Recent drone strikes have damaged El-Obeid’s main power station and fuel depots, cutting electricity across large parts of the city and disrupting water supplies after pumping stations were forced offline.

Residents said they now rely on water tankers, wells and limited distribution points as shortages deepen, while food prices have surged and transportation costs continue to rise.

El-Obeid, home to roughly half a million people and nearly 100,000 displaced civilians, occupies a strategic position linking army-controlled central and eastern Sudan with the western Darfur region, much of which remains under RSF control.

The United Nations has warned of significant RSF troop movements around the city ahead of a possible ground assault. Analysts say capturing El-Obeid would strengthen RSF control over western Sudan and potentially provide a corridor toward the capital, Khartoum.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), RSF troop concentrations have recently been observed north, south and west of the city, while the only remaining army-controlled supply route to Kosti has become increasingly hazardous.

El-Obeid also hosts a Sudanese army infantry division, an air base, a key oil pipeline and one of the country’s major gum arabic trading centers, making it a significant military and economic objective.

Humanitarian agencies warned that deteriorating security has sharply reduced aid access. The International Organization for Migration said the city was approaching conditions resembling a total siege, with civilians increasingly unable to leave or receive assistance.

UN agencies have suspended access to the area as security conditions worsen, while relief supplies already positioned inside the city are being rapidly depleted.

Humanitarian officials warned that, without urgent assistance, conditions could soon mirror those experienced in El-Fasher, where prolonged fighting left civilians facing severe food shortages and widespread destruction.

The Sudanese army said it had targeted RSF equipment advancing toward El-Obeid in an effort to slow the offensive. A source close to the RSF accused the military of using civilians as human shields and called for the evacuation of non-combatants, an allegation the army has not publicly addressed.

Analysts cautioned that even if El-Obeid does not experience the same pattern of ethnically driven violence seen elsewhere in the conflict, civilians remain at significant risk of looting, sexual violence and attacks amid continued fighting.

The war between Sudan’s military and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with repeated warnings from international organizations of worsening food insecurity and civilian suffering.

Municipal authorities say Israeli airstrikes conducted during the latest round of hostilities killed about 60 people in Tyre, destroyed 26 buildings and damaged roughly 1,000 homes, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee after evacuation warnings were issued earlier this month.

The attacks followed Hezbollah rocket fire into Israel on March 2 in support of Iran, drawing extensive Israeli military strikes across southern Lebanon as regional tensions escalated.

Although fighting has largely subsided following last week’s U.S.-Iran agreement and a subsequent reduction in hostilities along the Lebanese front, evidence of the conflict remains visible throughout Tyre, where damaged buildings, shattered storefronts and piles of rubble continue to dominate several neighborhoods.

Heavy equipment operators have been working around the clock to clear roads and remove debris. Residents searching through collapsed buildings for personal belongings have often found little remaining of their homes.

Authorities estimate that more than two-thirds of those displaced from the city have returned since the ceasefire took hold, beginning efforts to restore normal life despite continuing security concerns.

Business owners are among those leading the recovery. Hussein Hassan, a barber who returned after fleeing with his family during the conflict, reopened his shop despite structural damage that left walls cracked and windows destroyed.

Across the city, merchants and homeowners are undertaking repairs while assessing losses caused by the bombardment. Ali Samhat, who operates a neighborhood mini-market damaged in an airstrike, said reconstruction efforts had begun immediately after residents returned.

The destruction has also affected members of Lebanon’s diaspora. Abbas Ashour, who lives and works in Britain, returned to search the remains of the apartment he had purchased and furnished for his family before it was destroyed during the fighting.

Despite the damage, local officials are attempting to revive economic activity ahead of the summer tourism season. Deputy Mayor Alwan Charafeddine said plans are moving forward to reopen beachfront businesses and establish new cafes and kiosks along the city’s coastline.

Tyre, known for its beaches and historical significance, remains one of southern Lebanon’s most important tourist destinations. Residents have gradually returned to public spaces, including the city’s waterfront, where families and visitors have resumed recreational activities following weeks of displacement.

Many residents, however, remain cautious about the future. Israeli forces continue to maintain positions in parts of southern Lebanon, and both sides have exchanged accusations and threats since the ceasefire came into effect.

For now, the city’s recovery reflects a determination among residents to rebuild livelihoods disrupted by conflict while hoping the current period of relative calm develops into a more lasting stability along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The surfers, among the few remaining practitioners of the sport in the Gaza Strip, gather on Gaza City’s coastline where the sounds of crashing waves contrast sharply with the devastation left by years of conflict.

“This sport is indescribable. When you catch a wave, ride it, glide along it, that feeling can’t be put into words,” said 23-year-old Taheen Abu Assi, who learned surfing from his father and grandfather.

Abu Assi said the conflict had not diminished his commitment to the sport, describing surfing as a rare source of relief amid uncertainty.

“We learned little by little, and even with the war, the shelling, and the destruction, we’re still continuing with this sport, because it lets us breathe and makes us feel safe,” he said.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October after two years of war, violence continues to affect daily life in the coastal enclave. Both sides have accused each other of repeated violations of the truce.

The dangers extend beyond land. In recent months, local medical officials and security sources have reported incidents involving fishermen injured by Israeli fire near Gaza’s coastline.

“The situation is still unstable,” Abu Assi said. “At any moment, shells or explosives could land near you.”

Despite the risks, the surfers paddle into the Mediterranean, temporarily escaping the pressures of life in a territory where large areas have been devastated by conflict and hundreds of thousands remain displaced.

The sport faces additional challenges due to shortages of specialized equipment caused by wartime disruptions and continuing restrictions on imports.

“One of the biggest challenges and difficulties we face as surfers in the Gaza Strip is the lack of tools and equipment specific to this sport,” said 19-year-old Abdel Rahim Al-Ustadh.

According to Al-Ustadh, surf wax is unavailable in Gaza, forcing surfers to improvise with candle wax to maintain grip on their boards.

Many rely on aging equipment that has survived years of use. Holding a worn surfboard estimated to be nearly 20 years old, Al-Ustadh said preserving existing boards was critical because replacing them was virtually impossible.

“As surfers, we treat these boards like great treasures to us, because losing any board or having it confiscated threatens our ability to continue in this sport,” he said.

The conflict has dramatically reduced Gaza’s surfing community. Khalil Abu Jiyab, 18, said a team of 17 surfers existed before the war, but only three remain active today due to equipment shortages and the loss of boards.

“I’ve been surfing for 13 years now, and my hopes have almost been shattered,” Abu Jiyab said, while expressing a desire to one day compete outside Gaza.

For many of Gaza’s remaining surfers, the sea continues to offer a rare sense of freedom in an environment shaped by conflict and uncertainty.

“There’s nothing in Gaza you can really look forward to except the sea,” Abu Jiyab said. “The only outlet in Gaza is the sea; without it, life would have vanished long ago.”

The latest ceasefire, which took effect amid broader diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran, has brought a relative lull to the southern Lebanese city. However, many residents remain reluctant to return to normal routines, citing fears that fighting could resume as previous truce agreements have repeatedly collapsed.

The conflict, which intensified in March after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel during a wider regional confrontation involving Iran, has killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities. Israeli military operations have also pushed deep into southern Lebanon, leaving extensive destruction across the region.

Tyre, one of Lebanon’s oldest cities and a major summer tourism destination, has been among the areas heavily affected. Businesses that normally depend on seasonal visitors report little activity, while public spaces and parking areas have been occupied by displaced families who fled nearby towns and villages.

Residents say uncertainty continues to dominate daily life despite the reduction in visible fighting. Many displaced people have delayed returning to their homes, particularly in communities that suffered extensive damage during the conflict.

The city’s cultural heritage has also sustained damage. Several structures near Tyre’s renowned archaeological complex were struck during the air campaign, affecting areas adjacent to Roman-era monuments and historical sites that form part of a UNESCO-recognized heritage zone. Lebanese antiquities officials said assessments are expected to determine the extent of the damage and the scope of restoration work required.

Environmental concerns have also emerged along the southern coastline. Areas near the Mansouri coastal reserve, known for its sea turtle habitats and biodiversity, have become inaccessible following military activity and bombardment.

Healthcare facilities in Tyre have likewise faced disruptions. Medical workers at one of the city’s largest hospitals said nearby airstrikes damaged parts of the facility, shattered windows and doors, and raised concerns about the safety of medical personnel operating in active conflict zones.

Doctors and nurses who have worked through previous wars in southern Lebanon said the proximity of recent strikes to hospitals marked a significant escalation in the risks faced by healthcare workers.

The ceasefire has eased immediate security concerns, but signs of continuing military tension remain visible across southern Lebanon. Israeli forces continue to maintain positions in areas near the border, while periodic military activity has been reported south of Tyre.

Diplomatic discussions between Lebanon and Israel are continuing with international mediation, though Hezbollah has rejected calls for disarmament and remains outside the formal negotiation process.

For many residents, the destruction left behind by months of fighting has underscored the uncertainty surrounding the region’s future, even as diplomatic efforts seek to prevent a return to large-scale conflict.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 8 near the Cotabato Trench off Mindanao, triggering landslides, damaging infrastructure and causing widespread displacement. Scientists say the quake also generated significant coastal uplift, a geological process in which tectonic forces force sections of land upward.

Initial assessments by Philippine seismologists indicate that parts of the seabed rose by as much as two meters, extending the shoreline by up to 200 meters in some areas and transforming previously submerged coral reefs into exposed stretches of land.

“What they see now is their new coastline,” said Nane Danlag of the Philippine seismology agency, adding that the changes are permanent.

The affected zone stretches across nearly 100 kilometers of coastline between communities in southern Mindanao, according to preliminary surveys.

Residents described witnessing the transformation as it unfolded. Arsenio Butil Jr., a fisherman and pastor from Sarangani province’s Glan municipality, said the sea repeatedly receded and returned during the earthquake.

“What I saw at the shoreline was that the water receded. After a while, I saw it slowly returning. And then it receded again. Maybe three or four times,” he said.

The newly elevated coastline has left fishing boats stranded far from the water and exposed large expanses of coral that had previously been underwater.

The geological shift has also heightened anxiety among residents already traumatized by the disaster. In a hillside evacuation site near the coast, around 100 displaced villagers continued to shelter in temporary conditions more than a week after the earthquake.

Many fear that further seismic activity could trigger a tsunami despite reassurances from experts.

“What if the sea surges forward? That is what everyone fears,” said Datu Atom Malimpnig, a local community leader whose village was heavily affected.

The changes are also threatening tourism-dependent businesses. Resort operators along the coast say the exposed coral and shallower waters have altered beachfront landscapes that once attracted visitors.

Edzel Baylon, an employee at the Isla Jardin del Mar resort, said the area’s white-sand beaches are now separated from the sea by broad stretches of uplifted coral.

“It has a huge effect on the resort, because the main draw for customers is the sea,” Baylon said.

Seismologists noted that the Cotabato Trench is among the Philippines’ most active seismic zones. Thousands of smaller tremors were recorded in the area earlier this year, and authorities have logged more than 8,500 aftershocks since the June 8 earthquake.

Scientists say the coastal uplift is part of a natural tectonic process that has shaped the region over thousands of years, although the scale of the changes has been striking for residents witnessing the transformation firsthand.

With aftershocks continuing across the region, many families remain reluctant to rebuild homes damaged by the earthquake, citing concerns about cracked ground and the possibility of further strong tremors.

The attacks began on Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday, targeting residential neighborhoods, a funeral gathering and a truck transporting food supplies in the strategically important city in North Kordofan state, according to the Emergency Lawyers group.

The organization, which has documented alleged abuses during the conflict, blamed the strikes on the RSF. The claims could not be independently verified, and the paramilitary force did not immediately comment on the allegations.

Residents described extensive destruction across parts of the city, with homes damaged or destroyed and casualties transported to local hospitals.

One witness in the Al-Matar district in eastern El-Obeid said several houses collapsed after being hit, trapping residents beneath the rubble. Another resident told AFP that a relative was among those killed and that he had seen multiple bodies brought to a nearby medical facility.

A medical source said two children and a woman believed to be their mother were among the dead.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, has been partially surrounded by RSF forces for months and remains a key strategic center linking western and eastern Sudan. Control of the wider Kordofan region is viewed as critical because it connects RSF-held territories in Darfur with areas controlled by the Sudanese army.

Drone warfare has become an increasingly significant feature of Sudan’s conflict since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF. The use of unmanned aerial attacks has expanded as both sides seek to strike targets beyond front-line positions.

According to United Nations figures, at least 880 civilians were killed in drone strikes across Sudan between January and April this year.

Military operations have intensified in Kordofan and neighboring Blue Nile state in recent months, particularly following the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher in October 2025, ending the army’s hold on its last major stronghold in western Darfur.

The broader conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.