BEIRUT: Lebanese official media said Israel’s military began striking the country’s south on Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven locations, despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. “Israeli warplanes launched a strike” in Kfar Tibnit — one of the locations included in the warning — the state-run National News Agency said, adding that there were reports of casualties. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel reserves the right to act against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks”. Israel’s military has carried out repeated strikes in Lebanon since the truce came into force on April 17, and its troops are operating inside an Israeli-announced “yellow line” near the border where Lebanese residents have been warned not to return.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Hezbollah’s actions were threatening the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as he pledged to “vigorously” target the group. “It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting. “We are acting vigorously in accordance with arrangements agreed with the United States and, incidentally, also with Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. “This means freedom of action not only to respond to attacks, which is obvious, but also to pre-empt immediate threats and even emerging threats.”
Shortly after Netanyahu’s remarks, the Israeli military said it had intercepted three drones before they could enter Israeli territory. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for residents of seven villages in south Lebanon ahead of planned strikes targeting Hezbollah positions. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported multiple strikes on villages in the south on Sunday, particularly in the village of Zawtar al Sharqiyah where “an Israeli enemy drone hit a motorcycle”. The agency also reported shelling on several border villages since early on Sunday. Lebanon’s health ministry said seven people were killed on Saturday in Israeli strikes, revising upwards an earlier toll of six.
US President Donald Trump had on Thursday announced that a 10-day ceasefire which began on April 17 had been extended for three weeks. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with air strikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.
The NNA reported Israeli artillery shelling on several south Lebanon locations on Saturday. It also reported a “violent explosion” in Khiam, a strategic town along the east of Lebanon’s border with Israel where the agency has previously said the Israeli army has been “systematically” destroying houses and other buildings. A correspondent saw a huge cloud of smoke billowing over the town.
Israel’s military on Saturday reissued a warning to residents not to return to dozens of south Lebanon locations within the so-called “yellow line”, which demarcates a ribbon of Lebanese territory around 10 kilometres wide running along the length of the border. Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,496 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to authorities. On Friday, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad said the group maintained the right to respond to any Israeli aggression, adding that extending the ceasefire “makes no sense” in light of the continued “hostile acts”.
Hezbollah on Sunday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that it was jeopardising a ceasefire, and said it would keep responding to Israel’s violations and its occupation of south Lebanon. — AFP
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