Israeli airstrikes killed at least 12 people and injured more than 20 others across southern Lebanon on Friday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and the state news agency NNA.
The strikes hit several towns in the south, including Haboush in the Nabatieh district and Zrarieh in the Sidon province, despite a ceasefire that has been in place since April 16, latercera.com reported.
The Ministry's Health Emergency Operations Center reported that attacks on Haboush left "eight martyrs, including a child and two women, and 21 injured, including two children and a woman."
In Zrarieh, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strikes killed four people, including two women, and injured four others, including a child and a woman, the ministry stated.
Escalating casualties
These Friday afternoon attacks contributed to a broader wave of violence across the southern region. Al Jazeera reported more than 30 aerial bombardments accompanied by heavy artillery strikes hit other southern areas, including Zoutar al Gharbiya, Deir Sirian, and Ain Baal.
Earlier on Friday, a strike near Nabatieh killed at least two people and injured 10 others in the Al Fauqa region. The Israeli military has not yet commented on that specific incident, according to NNA.
The recent surge in violence occurs as tensions remain high along the southern border, where cross-border clashes and offensives have increased in recent weeks.
Lebanese authorities stated that since March 2, the death toll from Israeli attacks has surpassed 2,600, with more than 8,000 people injured. These figures persist despite a recent extension of the ceasefire, which was negotiated to end hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah militia.
According to a statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the total number of fatalities since early March has reached 2,618, while the number of injured has climbed to 8,094, latercera.com reported.
