Israeli strikes hit southern and eastern Lebanon, killing at least 6
Al Jazeera Staff
Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 6, wounding 3, in violation of last month's US-brokered ceasefire. Hezbollah responded with attacks, while Israel issued evacuation orders for 12 villages in the south.
Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 6 people and wounded 3 others, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), violating the US-brokered ceasefire from last month.
The Israeli strikes, involving fighter jets and drones, hit the town of Zellaya in eastern Lebanon, killing 4 and wounding 3 others. Ali Qassem Ahmad, head of Zellaya's municipal council, along with three family members, died in the attack on their home in the western Bekaa Valley.
In southern Lebanon, Israel also launched attacks using fighter jets, drones, and artillery on the village of Mayfadoun, killing two people.
Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah said it clashed with Israeli forces and claimed responsibility for an attack targeting a group of Israeli soldiers.
Al Jazeera correspondent Rory Challands in Beirut reported that Israeli airstrikes hit several areas in Tyre district, while Hezbollah retaliated with attacks targeting some areas in southern Lebanon.
On the same day, Israel issued mandatory evacuation orders for 12 villages in southern Lebanon, requiring residents to stay at least one kilometer away from their homes. Most of the affected villages are north of the Litani River – an area currently not under Israeli military occupation. Israel said it was responding to Hezbollah's ceasefire violations but offered no credible evidence to support the claim.
The Israeli military continues to expand its operations in southern Lebanon, and the new evacuation order is the first to include areas in the western Bekaa Valley since the ceasefire took effect on April 17.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah reignited on March 2, after the Iran-backed armed group fired rockets into its southern neighbor, just as the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. Since then, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed about 2,700 people and displaced more than 1.2 million. Israeli forces have destroyed entire villages in southern Lebanon, reminiscent of the devastation seen in Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
