Smoke rises from the site of a string of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh. AFP
Two people were killed in an airstrike carried out early Saturday on the town of Deir al-Zahrani, which also destroyed a residential building, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Israeli artillery fired heavy shells into neighbourhoods across Nabatieh, while also bombarding the vicinity of the city's Nabih Berri Government Hospital.
Israeli occupation forces also demolished homes and public buildings in the city of Bint Jbeil early Saturday.
In Tyre, a strike by a drone hit the town of Maarakeh, killing one person. Airstrikes were also reported near the town of Qana in the Tyre region.
In parallel, the Israeli ocupation military issued a forced evacuation warning to the population of 20 towns and villages in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, said its fighters had confronted Israeli occupation forces attempting to advance toward villages in southern Lebanon, as Israeli strikes continued across multiple areas despite previously announced ceasefire arrangements.
The developments come amid stalled de-escalation efforts, with Israeli attacks continuing despite a ceasefire announced on April 17 and a truce agreement reached last week following talks in Washington.
US President Donald Trump has recently clashed with Netanyahu over curbing Israeli attacks on Lebanon to support diplomatic efforts with Tehran.
Iran has insisted that the Israeli war on Lebanon must be stopped as part of any deal with the US.
However, Netanyahu appears determined to pursue his alleged goal of eliminating the resistance group Hezbollah, a claim that is contradicted by evidence on the ground indicating that Israeli bombardment has targeted residential areas across Lebanon, resulting in the killing of more than 3,600 people since 2 March.
It is worth noting that the Israeli war on Lebanon started in October 2023, and while a ceasefire between the Lebanese government and Israel took effect in November 2024, based on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701, the Israeli occupation forces killed over 331 people across the country in blatant violations of the truce.
Israel has also expanded the areas under its occupation in southern Lebanon, as its forces have advanced more than 10 kilometres during the current war, the deepest incursion since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
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