Beirut, Lebanon. Four people were killed on Saturday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, as the Israeli military said Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel amid a recently extended ceasefire.
Ceasefire and continued clashes
A ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon has led to a significant reduction in hostilities, but Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have continued to clash in southern Lebanon, where Israel has kept soldiers in a self-declared buffer zone.
Israeli military reports strikes in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had struck loaded rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah in three locations in southern Lebanon overnight and targeted several Hezbollah fighters in separate strikes.
It was unclear whether the deaths reported by Lebanon’s state news agency were linked to those Israeli strikes.
Warnings and rocket interceptions
The Israeli military restated its warning for Lebanese residents not to approach the Litani River area in southern Lebanon while it battles Hezbollah.
It said it had intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” within the area its forces are presently occupying, and that two rockets were fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel, one of which was intercepted. There were no reports of casualties.
Hezbollah criticism of the truce extension
A Hezbollah lawmaker said on Friday that a U.S.-mediated ceasefire in the war with Israel was meaningless, a day after it was extended for three weeks. The truce had been due to expire on Sunday.
What do you think the latest exchanges indicate about the stability of the extended ceasefire?
