Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including two women, as reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry on Sunday. The strikes were in response to alleged Hezbollah drone attacks within areas occupied by Israeli forces, despite a prior U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in June.
The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that two men were killed in a town bordering the zone controlled by Israeli troops, while the two women lost their lives in Arab Salim, located far north of the occupied region. The Israeli military had issued an evacuation warning for areas near a building in Arab Salim, citing its use by Hezbollah, resulting in the deaths of two girls and injuries to six others in the subsequent strike.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office denounced the strikes as a “dangerous escalation,” highlighting the destruction of a hospital and damage to a Finance Ministry building as targeting civilian establishments. President Aoun held Israel accountable for the escalation, urging the U.S. and international community to intervene and address the violations.
Israeli military operations targeted alleged Hezbollah weapons storage sites and a command center housed in a former hospital building. The military claimed to have employed precision weapons and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian casualties. This marked the second evacuation warning since the June ceasefire.
Earlier incidents on August 5 saw an evacuation order for Mansouri residents near Tyre, with subsequent casualties reported in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon. Hezbollah accused Israel of escalating tensions to pressure the Lebanese government engaged in talks with Israel, a move rejected by the Iran-backed group.
Since March 2, over 4,300 individuals have been killed in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes following Hezbollah’s actions supporting Iran.