In brief
Israel launched a series of airstrikes, drones and artillery strikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least eleven civilians and attacking more than a dozen targets in the region of Nabatieh. The attacks came less than twenty-four hours after a public ceasefire was declared between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel's military said the operations were aimed at Hezbollah “terrorist targets” after the group fired over fifty rockets at Israeli forces. Washington has warned that the Saudi‑Iran deal could collapse if hostilities continue in Lebanon, with the U.S. envoy heading to Switzerland for discussions. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has pledged to keep attacking Israel if the occupation persists, as displacement and destruction of villages continue to mount.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes, drones and artillery strikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least eleven civilians and striking more than a dozen locations in the provinces around Nabatieh, according to the Lebanese state news agency.
The attacks occurred less than twenty‑four hours after a public ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hezbollah, raising grave concerns about the conflict’s rapid flare‑up.
The Israeli military stated that its operations targeted “Hezbollah terrorist targets” in response to the group’s firing of more than fifty rockets at Israeli forces in early March, when Hezbollah launched drones and rockets into Israel, drawing Lebanon into a proxy war with Iran.
Washington has warned that continued Israeli operations in Lebanon could undermine the U.S.‑Iran peace deal, which calls for an end to fighting on all fronts. The U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly heading to Switzerland for initial talks with Iran to cement the agreement.
Hezbollah officials have pledged to continue attacks if Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon persists, stressing that the group’s sovereignty must be respected and that the “enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire.”
Approximately one million people remain displaced, and dozens of communities in southern Lebanon have been completely destroyed, sparking a humanitarian crisis in the region.
The Reuters photo shows a large grey cloud of smoke over a town in southern Lebanon after an Israeli strike, while a map of the Lebanese territory highlights the region’s proximity to Israel and Syria.