Casualties from Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
Thirty-nine people have died following another day of intense Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry.
One of the strikes targeted the southern town of Saksakiyeh, killing at least seven individuals, including a child, the ministry reported.
Lebanese official media also stated that an Israeli strike in the southern city of Nabatieh resulted in the death of a Syrian national and left his 12-year-old daughter seriously injured.
Hezbollah's Response and Ongoing Hostilities
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched a drone attack targeting northern Israel, which the Israeli military confirmed wounded three soldiers.
Despite a ceasefire agreement announced by US President Donald Trump on 16 April between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah have continued exchanging fire.
Most Israeli airstrikes have focused on southern Lebanon, with the Israeli military stating their operations target infrastructure and individuals linked to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political party.
Details of Recent Strikes
On Saturday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, including in Saksakiyeh.
The health ministry stated that the raid
"resulted in an initial toll of seven martyrs, including a girl, and 15 wounded, including three children".
Another Israeli strike on a motorbike in Nabatieh hit
"a Syrian national and his 12-year-old daughter", according to the ministry.
The ministry elaborated:
"After they managed to move away from the site of the first strike, the drone attacked a second time," killing the father. It added the drone then targeted the girl "directly for a third time".
The girl was undergoing life-saving surgery at the time of reporting.
Israel has not issued any comments regarding these strikes.
Casualty Figures and Military Occupation
According to Lebanon's health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed more than 120 people across Lebanon in the past week, including women and children. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its counts.
The Israeli military occupies a strip of Lebanese land along the border, with officials stating the objective is to establish a Hezbollah-free security zone to protect northern Israeli communities.
In these occupied areas, entire villages have been destroyed, resembling tactics previously used by the Israeli military in Gaza. Human rights organizations have raised concerns that some of these actions may constitute war crimes.
Hezbollah's Continued Attacks
Hezbollah has conducted attacks on Israeli troops in Lebanon and northern Israel using rockets and drones.
The group claimed responsibility for the drone attack on northern Israel on Saturday, describing it as a response to ongoing Israeli strikes.
The Israeli military confirmed it identified
"an explosive drone launched by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation"near the northern border, reporting that three army reservists were injured, one seriously.
Background of the Conflict
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire ending a previous conflict in November 2024. However, following this, Israel has conducted near-daily attacks on targets and individuals it associates with Hezbollah.
After the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, killing Iran's supreme leader, Hezbollah retaliated by launching rockets and drones into Israel on 2 March.
In response, Israel intensified its bombardment of Lebanon with airstrikes. Israeli forces re-entered southern Lebanon in early March, destroying villages and maintaining occupation of approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of Lebanese territory.
Since 2 March, a total of 2,795 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israeli authorities report that 17 soldiers and one civilian have died in southern Lebanon, alongside two civilians in northern Israel.
