Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill several despite truce

Israeli strikes on Sunday killed seven individuals, comprising two women, in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. This follows Israel's retaliation for what it claims were Hezbollah drone attacks within areas under its control. Despite a U.S.-mediated ceasefire with Hezbollah in June, Israel continues to operate in a security zone in southern Lebanon.

Two men were killed in a town bordering the Israeli-occupied zone, while the two women were killed in Arab Salim, which lies far north of the occupied territory. A subsequent Israeli drone strike in Nabatieh al-Tahta also claimed three lives.

Israel had previously issued an online evacuation advisory at 6 a.m. local time for areas surrounding a building in Arab Salim, which it claimed would be targeted due to its use by Hezbollah. Six others were injured in that strike.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun denounced the strikes, deeming them a dangerous escalation that targeted civilian administrations and health centers. He held Israel fully accountable for the ongoing escalation and urged the U.S. and the international community to intervene and hold the perpetrators accountable.

The Israeli military stated that its targets included Hezbollah's weapons storage facilities and a command center within a building that was previously a hospital. They also noted the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian casualties. This evacuation warning marked only the second since the ceasefire was announced in June.

The first online evacuation order was issued on August 5 for residents of Mansouri, near Tyre, though Israel had already dropped leaflets on the village a week earlier, urging residents to leave ahead of the strikes.

On Friday, four people were killed and 23 injured in Israeli strikes launched without prior evacuation notices. These strikes targeted Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. Hezbollah accused Israel of escalating the situation to pressure the Lebanese government, which has been directly negotiating with Israel under U.S. mediation. These talks, however, have been rejected by the Iran-backed group.

Since March 2, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran, over 4,300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon.