Israel carried out deadly airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least nine people, in the most severe escalation since last week’s ceasefire agreement.
The strikes on the towns of Haris and Talousa came after Hezbollah fired two rockets near an Israeli watchtower in the occupied Shebaa Farms area, causing no casualties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed a response, with the Israeli military later confirming it had targeted “Hezbollah terrorists, launchers, and infrastructure” across Lebanon.
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed the death toll in what marks the deadliest day since the ceasefire took effect on Wednesday. French officials have reportedly accused Israel of breaching the truce 52 times since its implementation.
Hezbollah described its rocket attack as an “initial warning defensive response” to what it called repeated Israeli violations of the agreement.
The escalation has raised concerns about a potential return to full-scale conflict, just days after the ceasefire intended to end 13 months of fighting. The agreement requires Israeli forces to withdraw from south Lebanon and Hezbollah fighters to vacate areas south of the Litani River within 60 days.
The violence has prompted fresh displacement, with witnesses reporting residents leaving Beirut’s southern suburbs after Netanyahu’s warning. The previous round of fighting had already displaced more than 1 million Lebanese and 60,000 Israelis, causing an estimated £6.7 billion in damage to Lebanon.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller maintained the ceasefire remains intact, saying violations would be addressed through the US-led enforcement mechanism. Major General Jasper Jeffers arrived in Beirut last week to co-chair the ceasefire committee.
Western diplomats have urged Israel to show restraint and allow the monitoring mechanism to function, while Israeli officials insist on maintaining the right to respond unilaterally to perceived violations.
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