Israel launched a massive series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, despite an extension of the truce between the two countries.
Israel said, “it is targeting Hezbollah, but the strikes were preceded by an evacuation warning covering nine villages.”
And the continuing bombardment has only increased scepticism about the truce among the many thousands ofLebanese who have been drivenn from their homes in the south.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes on more than two dozen villages on Saturday, including one located more than 50 kilometres from the border.
It also reported a new exodus of residents to the southern city of Sidon and the capital, Beirut.
On Saturday, Hezbollah announced that it had struck a military target in northern Israel.
It added that its fighters had targeted ‘the Ya’ara barracks with a swarm of attack drones' after having announced multiple operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
On Friday, the two countries agreed to extend a ceasefire that began on 17 April and has been marred by numerous violations for another 45 days.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that he welcomes the extension and urges all actors to fully respect the cessation of hostilities.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to conduct strikes in Lebanon, and its forces are occupying territory near the border.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, regularly claims attacks on northern Israel and against the Israeli military in southern Lebanon, including multiple attacks on Israeli forces on Saturday.
Israel’s military said on Saturday that one of its soldiers died in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 21 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.
Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since the truce took effect, according to Lebanese authorities.
The latest strikes come after envoys from Israel and Lebanon held negotiations in Washington, following the first direct talks in decades last month between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations.
They agreed to extend the ceasefire.
Iran-backed Hezbollah opposes the negotiations and claimed an attack against Israeli troops in the Lebanese town of Khiam on Saturday.
The group justified their action by accusing Israel of ceasefire violations and attacks that targeted villages in southern Lebanon.
