At least nine people, including two children, were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the health ministry reported. This violence persists despite a ceasefire now in its second week.
Israel stated the strikes were targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. The ministry also reported that 23 people were wounded, among them eight children and seven women.
Escalating Tensions and Mutual Accusations
Separately, Hezbollah stated it had carried out attacks on Israeli forces in the south, including a drone strike targeting soldiers in the Bint Jbeil district.
The ongoing violence comes as Israel continues military operations in Lebanon despite the ceasefire announced on April 16, following direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized what he described as “continuing Israeli violations” of the truce. He highlighted that strikes and demolitions of homes and places of worship were ongoing “despite the ceasefire.” President Aoun emphasized, “Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions, and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence and humanitarian organisations.”
On Thursday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for 15 villages in southern Lebanon. Many of these villages were outside what Israel has designated as the “Yellow Line” – a strip of territory extending roughly 10km (6 miles) from the border where it states it continues to operate against threats.
Israel maintains its actions are in response to what it describes as violations of the deal by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political party. Hezbollah was not directly involved in the ceasefire agreement but had indicated it would abide by its terms if it was also respected by Israel.
Ceasefire’s Fragility and Political Divisions
While the truce largely halted strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs, fighting has persisted elsewhere in the south, with continued air raids and repeated evacuation orders.
Lebanese officials argue this constitutes a pattern of violations, while Israel asserts it is acting within the terms of the agreement. The US-mediated ceasefire permits Israel to respond to what it describes as “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks” – a provision rejected by Hezbollah.
The fragile truce has also exposed political divisions in Beirut over the path forward. President Aoun has supported direct, face-to-face talks and suggested the ceasefire should evolve into a more “permanent agreement.” In contrast, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, has taken a sharply different stance, opposing direct talks and warning of associated risks.
The latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2 after the group fired rockets into Israel, which responded with widespread air strikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
Since then, more than 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 103 health professionals, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The ministry’s figures, which do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, include at least 270 women and more than 170 children.
The Israeli military reported that one of its soldiers was killed during combat in southern Lebanon on Thursday, bringing the number of Israeli troop deaths since early March to 17.
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