At least five people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media, despite a recently announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
The strikes reportedly took place across the Nabatieh region overnight and into Saturday morning, with residential buildings and homes among the targets, the National News Agency (NNA) said.
Fresh violence despite ceasefire
The escalation comes just hours after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah was declared, following weeks of intensified cross-border hostilities in southern Lebanon.
According to a US official, the truce was agreed on Friday and was scheduled to take effect at 4 p.m. local time. The agreement was reportedly confirmed by a senior Israeli official and Hezbollah-linked sources.
However, the latest strikes suggest continued military activity on the ground despite the declared pause in fighting.
Israeli military response
The Israeli military said it continues to carry out operations targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said it had launched air and ground attacks overnight, claiming it was responding to “repeated violations of the ceasefire” by Hezbollah.
The military said its strikes were aimed at what it described as militant infrastructure in the region.
Casualties and damage reported
Lebanese state media reported that at least five people were killed in the latest strikes, while several others were injured.
Some local reports claimed higher casualty figures, though authorities have not independently confirmed the full extent of the damage.
Emergency response teams are continuing search and rescue operations in affected villages, where multiple homes and buildings were reportedly destroyed.
The renewed violence highlights the fragility of the ceasefire agreement, which was intended to reduce escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah along the southern Lebanon border.
Regional observers say the situation remains highly volatile, with both sides accusing each other of violations shortly after the truce began.
