Israel carries out airstrikes, drone attacks in Lebanon despite ceasefire; 5 killed
Israel launched air strikes and drone attacks across southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least five people despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah that had taken effect only hours earlier, news agency Reuters reported, quoting Lebanese state media.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes and drones carried out overnight strikes across the Nabatieh region, destroying residential buildings and homes. Artillery shelling also targeted Nabatieh and surrounding areas before dawn.
The strikes came shortly after Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group agreed to halt hostilities following a sharp escalation in cross-border fighting that had raised concerns of a broader regional conflict.
A senior US official said the ceasefire came into force shortly before 4 pm local time on Friday (1300 GMT). The agreement was confirmed separately by a senior Israeli official and two Hezbollah sources speaking to Reuters.
The truce was brokered through diplomatic efforts led by the US and Qatar, with support from Iran. Officials involved in the negotiations described the ceasefire as an attempt to stabilise Lebanon’s southern front and protect wider diplomatic initiatives underway in the region.
The agreement followed one of the deadliest recent flare-ups between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli strikes in Lebanon reportedly killed around 40 people, while Hezbollah attacks resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
However, the ceasefire has remained fragile from the outset. Lebanese security sources said Israeli attacks continued during the initial hours after the truce took effect.
Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Israeli forces retained full operational freedom to respond to threats and continued operations in areas including Beaufort Castle and the Ali Taher ridge.
He accused Hezbollah of attempting to preserve military infrastructure and violating ceasefire understandings.
The violence has also complicated broader regional diplomacy. Planned talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland are all set to get on their way again after they were initially postponed amid concerns that renewed fighting in Lebanon could derail negotiations linked to regional security and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
