Full story
Strikes Despite Truce
Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least 12 people, while the Israel Defense Forces said three reservists were wounded by Hezbollah explosive drones.
“At least 12 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon”
The IDF said it carried out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to nine villages, and it reported that a drone struck Israeli territory close to the border with Lebanon, seriously injuring a reservist and moderately wounding two others.
Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported that a strike hit a car on a road between the towns of Burj Rahal and Aabbasiyyeh and killed three people, and it also reported a separate strike on the southern town of Saksakiyeh that killed at least seven people including a girl.
France 24 reported that the health ministry said a raid on Saksakiyeh resulted in an initial toll of seven martyrs, including a girl, and 15 wounded, including three children.
In the same reporting, the Israeli military said it struck "Hezbollah terrorists operating from within a structure used for military purposes" in Saksakiyeh and said it was "aware of reports regarding harm to uninvolved civilians" there.
Evacuation Warnings and Claims
The Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X that "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately" and stay away from villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 meters to open areas.
Naharnet said the IDF issued the evacuation warning to residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon ahead of expected attacks against alleged Hezbollah targets despite a truce intended to halt the fighting.
Lebanese media reported that Israeli strikes also hit areas not included in the evacuation warnings, and the Times of Israel said Lebanese media reported that Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least 12 people, including in areas where no evacuation orders were issued.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah warned of "a new phase, in which the resistance (Hezbollah) will not accept a return to pre-March 2" as Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade fire despite the ceasefire.
France 24 reported that Hezbollah said it had targeted troops in northern Israel with drones on at least two occasions in response to continued strikes, while the Israeli military said "several" explosive drones were launched into Israeli territory.
What Comes Next
The IDF said it struck over 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the past 24 hours, and it also said it struck an underground Hezbollah weapons production site in the Beqaa valley in eastern Lebanon.
“struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites "from the air and on the ground"”
In the same reporting, the Israeli military said it destroyed two primed Hezbollah rocket launchers, including one used to attack troops in southern Lebanon and another previously used in an attack on Israel.
Lebanese and Israeli representatives were set to hold a fresh round of direct talks in Washington next week, after a first meeting days before US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire in Lebanon and a second round as he announced a three-week extension.
France 24 reported that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 2,800 people since March 2, including dozens since the truce went into force, according to Lebanese authorities.
Against that backdrop, the Times of Israel said the continued clashes underlined challenges facing US efforts to forge peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it noted that the Hezbollah-Israel fighting has continued since Trump announced a ceasefire on April 16, which has now largely unraveled.
