Lebanese state media reported on Wednesday that Israeli forces carried out a series of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, even as a recently announced peace deal in the Middle East war includes provisions aimed at reducing hostilities in the country.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes conducted raids targeting the Nabatieh al-Fawqa area as well as the eastern outskirts of the nearby town of Kfar Tebnit. In a separate incident, a drone strike was also reported on the town of Ansariyeh in the Zahrani region.
Despite an overall decline in violence since the US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the wider regional conflict was announced earlier this week, Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes in the south have still resulted in at least five deaths since the deal was introduced.
The easing of hostilities has allowed some residents in southern Lebanon to return to their homes to assess damage, though the Lebanese army has advised caution, warning of continued risks linked to possible Israeli operations.
The escalation comes against the backdrop of the broader Middle East conflict, which intensified after Hezbollah entered the war in March by launching rocket attacks on Israel following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in earlier US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with extensive air raids and a ground offensive.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the agreement would remain incomplete unless Israeli forces withdraw from occupied areas. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon “for as long as necessary.”
Hezbollah has not yet commented on recent developments, while its leadership is expected to issue a televised statement later on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry has revised the death toll from Israeli strikes since the war began to 3,826.
