Israeli Airstrikes Kill Five in Southern Lebanon Amid Ceasefire Violations

Israeli air raids in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of five individuals on Saturday, continuing attacks despite a US-brokered ceasefire.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported one fatality in an air strike targeting Maarakeh in the Tyre district. Ali Badie, the mayor of Ar Rihan municipality, was killed in an Israeli attack within the Jezzine district. Additionally, three people died in the towns of Deir al Zahrani and Kafr Reman, located in the Nabatieh district.

These strikes followed an evacuation warning issued by the Israeli army for 20 locations, including the city of Nabatieh, ahead of planned raids. Israeli air strikes impacted several areas covered by this warning, such as the villages of Rihan and Sujud, near Nabatieh. The Israeli army urged residents to "evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River," approximately 45 kilometers from the southern border with Israel. Last month, the Israeli army had declared all areas south of the river as "combat zones" and has been conducting strikes in the region.

Eyewitnesses reported explosions and artillery shelling near the hills overlooking Nabatieh. Hezbollah stated on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards the town of Majdal Zoun.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been ongoing since early March. Both parties have reportedly not respected an April ceasefire, and a conditional truce deal announced this month after a fourth round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington also failed to halt the fighting. More than 3,700 people in Lebanon have been killed since Israel launched a campaign of air strikes and a ground invasion.

According to Dawn Pakistan, the conflict began after Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict with rocket fire at Israel, reportedly in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.