Israeli airstrikes and ground operations killed at least four people in Lebanon's Nabatieh district on Saturday, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The attacks targeted a truck and a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, according to a statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health’s emergency operations centre.
The violence occurs despite a three-week extension to a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. Israeli military operations continue in southern Lebanon, with reports of soldiers blowing up buildings in Bint Jbeil and bombings hitting residential blocks in Khiam, Al Jazeera reported.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned on social media that displaced Lebanese citizens should not return to approximately 60 southern towns. Adraee shared a map showing red zones along the border and near the Litani River where Israeli troops remain positioned to counter Hezbollah activities.
Continued military presence
Israel has unilaterally declared a zone of operation north of the Litani River. Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett reported from Tyre that the "rumble and thud of explosions" could be heard across much of the south as Israel continues demolishing houses and buildings.
On Saturday night, the Israeli military reported attacking Hezbollah rocket launchers in the southern areas of Deir El Zahrani, Reman, and Al Samiya, according to CNN Chile.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad called the current ceasefire "meaningless in light of Israel’s insistence on hostile acts, including assassinations, shelling, and gunfire." He stated that the ongoing attacks mean Hezbollah retains the "right to retaliate."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military's actions, stating that Israel is "maintaining full freedom of action against any threat." He further claimed that Hezbollah is attempting to sabotage the pause in hostilities.
The human cost of the seven-week conflict has risen significantly. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that 2,491 people have died, including 177 minors, and 7,719 others have been wounded during the recent period of intense fighting, according to CNN Chile.
Displaced civilians continue to struggle in makeshift shelters. Huda Kamal Mansour, living in an empty stadium in Beirut for 45 days, told Al Jazeera she fled her home in Aitaroun village when the Israeli army began bombarding her neighborhood.
