Israel launched a fresh wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday, just one day after Beirut and Tel Aviv agreed to extend their ceasefire for another 45 days following negotiations in Washington.
“The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in several areas in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military said.
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Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that at least five villages in the south were targeted. The strikes prompted residents to flee towards the coastal city of Sidon and the capital, Beirut.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings to residents in nine villages located in the Sidon and Nabatieh regions, advising them to leave before the attacks began.
Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended After Washington Talks
The latest escalation comes after Israeli and Lebanese envoys met in Washington, where they held negotiations following the first direct talks between the two countries in decades. Israel and Lebanon do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.
On Friday, Lebanon’s negotiating team welcomed the decision to prolong the ceasefire.
“The extension of the ceasefire and the establishment of a US-facilitated security track provide critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions, and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability,” the delegation said in a statement released by the Lebanese presidency.
Hezbollah Continues Attacks Despite Truce
Iran-backed Hezbollah has rejected the negotiations and has continued to claim attacks on northern Israel and against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, parts of which remain under Israeli occupation, despite the ceasefire taking effect on April 17.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes since the war began have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including over 400 since the truce started.
The Israeli military has also reported that 19 soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon since hostilities with Hezbollah erupted.
How The Israel-Hezbollah Conflict Spread To Lebanon
Lebanon became involved in the wider Middle East conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The cross-border violence has continued to fuel instability along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, even as international efforts seek to preserve the ceasefire and prevent a broader regional confrontation.
