At least 20 people have reportedly been killed by Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, less than 24 hours after a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced.
Local officials said 16 people had been killed in the Nabatieh district and seven in neighbouring Saida, with others injured, after Israeli warplanes, drones, and artillery targeted several areas.
A family of four – a father, a mother and their two children – was killed in the town of Barich in southern Lebanon, state media reported.
The Israeli military said it had struck “dozens” of Hezbollah targets after the group fired over 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in the region.
It also reported that an Israeli soldier was killed in battle in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
The US government has criticised Israel’s ongoing operations in Lebanon, which was drawn into the US-Iran war when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader.
Washington also fears that the continuing tensions between Israel and Lebanon could undermine the US peace deal with Iran, which includes a commitment to end fighting on “all fronts” including Lebanon.
US envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reported to be heading to Switzerland for initial talks with Iran to help cement the agreement.
While it may have helped prevent a wider regional escalation for the time being, the deal leaves unresolved the central disputes at the heart of the conflict, including Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon and the future of Hezbollah’s weapons.
Hezbollah in a statement has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire, and said the group has the right to “defend their land and sovereignty” in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had “struck dozens of Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites and terrorists in southern Lebanon”.
The IDF said its strikes were in response to Hezbollah launching “more than 50 projectiles toward IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon”.
“These attacks constitute repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement,” it added in the statement.