Israeli Strikes Kill Nine Amid Escalating Lebanon Conflict

BEIRUT: (Web Desk) – Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes across Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least nine people in southern areas, according to Lebanese authorities. The attacks also targeted the Saadiyat highway south of Beirut, an area outside the traditional influence of Hezbollah.

The latest raids marked some of the heaviest bombardments since the beginning of a fragile three-week ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite the truce, cross-border violence has continued almost daily, particularly in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah announced that it launched drone attacks on Israeli troops in northern Israel on at least two occasions in response to the ongoing strikes. The Israeli military confirmed that several explosive drones crossed into Israeli territory, injuring one reservist critically and two others moderately.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes in the south, including a deadly attack on the town of Saksakiyeh. The Lebanese health ministry said the strike killed seven people, among them a young girl, and injured 15 others, including three children.

Israel’s military stated that the operation targeted Hezbollah fighters allegedly operating from a military-use structure in Saksakiyeh. The army added it was reviewing reports regarding civilian casualties resulting from the strike.

UAE Reports New Attacks Despite Fragile Hormuz Ceasefire

In another incident, Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli drone strike in the city of Nabatieh targeted a Syrian man and his 12-year-old daughter riding a motorcycle. Officials claimed the drone struck multiple times, killing the father, while the girl suffered severe injuries and underwent emergency surgery.

A separate Israeli attack in the southern town of Bedias killed one person and wounded 13 others, including women and children. Earlier, Israel had issued evacuation warnings for residents of nine southern Lebanese villages, warning of further military action against Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said it had struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites during the previous 24 hours and continued operations inside a self-declared buffer zone extending roughly 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory near the border.

Hassan Fadlallah warned that Hezbollah had entered “a new phase” and would no longer tolerate continued Israeli attacks without retaliation. He said the resistance movement would respond to strikes targeting Lebanese towns and suburbs.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several additional rocket and drone attacks against Israeli military positions both near the border and inside Lebanese territory. The escalation comes as Lebanese and Israeli representatives are expected to hold another round of direct talks in Washington next week following recent ceasefire negotiations announced by Donald Trump.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military operations since March 2 have killed nearly 2,800 people in Lebanon, including dozens since the ceasefire officially took effect.