The Kabul Tribune (KT) — BBC reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets” in Lebanon, just two days after a ceasefire was extended by three weeks.
The directive was followed by fresh Israeli strikes, which
came after at least six people were killed in attacks on southern Lebanon on
Saturday. Continued cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah have
further strained the fragile truce, underscoring its instability.
The ceasefire agreement, which has reduced but not
completely halted hostilities, was extended on Thursday following talks between
envoys from both sides in Washington.
According to Agence France-Presse, Israeli strikes earlier
on Saturday targeted a truck and a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef
in the Nabatieh district, killing four people, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
Two more people were killed and 17 others wounded in a separate attack on Safad
al-Battikh in the Bint Jbeil district.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had “eliminated” three
Hezbollah members traveling in a vehicle carrying weapons, as well as another
individual on a motorcycle. It added that two more armed members were killed in
the Litani area, where Israeli troops remain deployed in a self-declared buffer
zone, citing threats to its forces.
The Israeli military also reported identifying a “suspicious
aerial target” near Malkia, describing the incident as another violation of the
ceasefire.
Hezbollah, in response, said it targeted an Israeli military
vehicle in southern Lebanon, retaliating for the earlier strike in Yohmor
al-Shaqeef, AFP reported.
Following Netanyahu’s order, Lebanon’s state-run National
News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes across towns in the Bint Jbeil,
Tyre and Nabatieh districts.
The Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah
infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon and pledged
to continue operations against threats to Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israel maintains a military presence in much of southern
Lebanon and has continued large-scale demolitions in the area.
Meanwhile, the Media Freedom Coalition condemned recent
attacks on journalists in Lebanon as “unacceptable.” The group, which includes
the United Kingdom and Finland, called on all parties to ensure the safety and
freedom of media workers.
A Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, was killed in an Israeli
strike earlier in the week, while freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj was
injured. Lebanese officials said the journalists were deliberately targeted
while taking shelter after an initial strike, though the IDF denied targeting
media personnel.
