diff --git a/generated/known_airflow_exceptions.txt b/generated/known_airflow_exceptions.txt
index 1fb461854905d..66ee6590bc84e 100644
--- a/generated/known_airflow_exceptions.txt
+++ b/generated/known_airflow_exceptions.txt
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/neptune.py::4
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/rds.py::4
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/redshift_cluster.py::9
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/redshift_data.py::2
-providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py::5
+providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py::4
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/sagemaker.py::22
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/sagemaker_unified_studio.py::2
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/step_function.py::2
diff --git a/providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py b/providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py
index b74fb60a1b763..164777c78c136 100644
--- a/providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py
+++ b/providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py
@@ -697,8 +697,12 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._keys: str | list[str] = ""
 
-        if not exactly_one(keys is None, all(var is None for var in [prefix, from_datetime, to_datetime])):
-            raise AirflowException(
+        # Checked here and again in execute(): this guard keeps a plain authoring mistake a
+        # parse-time error, while execute() catches a templated `keys` that renders to None
+        # (which would otherwise list — and delete from — the whole bucket).
+        by_scan = prefix is not None or from_datetime is not None or to_datetime is not None
+        if not exactly_one(keys is not None, by_scan):
+            raise ValueError(
                 "Either keys or at least one of prefix, from_datetime, to_datetime should be set."
             )
 
diff --git a/providers/amazon/tests/unit/amazon/aws/operators/test_s3.py b/providers/amazon/tests/unit/amazon/aws/operators/test_s3.py
index cd907171927e4..9d062caa4ace8 100644
--- a/providers/amazon/tests/unit/amazon/aws/operators/test_s3.py
+++ b/providers/amazon/tests/unit/amazon/aws/operators/test_s3.py
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ def test_s3_delete_empty_string(self):
     )
     def test_validate_keys_and_filters_in_constructor(self, keys, prefix, from_datetime, to_datetime):
         with pytest.raises(
-            AirflowException,
+            ValueError,
             match=r"Either keys or at least one of prefix, from_datetime, to_datetime should be set.",
         ):
             S3DeleteObjectsOperator(
diff --git a/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt b/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
index 7ff6497cf73f0..fd83af9d572c3 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
+++ b/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/emr.py::EmrAddStepsO
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/glue.py::GlueDataQualityOperator
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/neptune.py::NeptuneStartDbClusterOperator
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/neptune.py::NeptuneStopDbClusterOperator
-providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/s3.py::S3DeleteObjectsOperator
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/sagemaker.py::SageMakerCreateNotebookOperator
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/sagemaker.py::SageMakerProcessingOperator
 providers/amazon/src/airflow/providers/amazon/aws/operators/step_function.py::StepFunctionStartExecutionOperator