At least 13 people, including four women and a child, have been killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strikes hit the towns of Haboush, Zrarieh, and Ain Baal, with 32 others injured. The Israel Defense Forces had previously issued evacuation orders for parts of the region.
Violence has persisted despite a three-week ceasefire extension. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, claimed it targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles on Saturday. The Israeli military confirmed one soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Thursday, raising its death toll since early March to 17.
A ten-day pause in fighting was announced on April 16 after U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire by three weeks on April 23, stating the U.S. would help Lebanon defend against Hezbollah. However, the truce has failed to stop strikes outside Beirut, with continued air raids and evacuation orders in the south.
The U.S. embassy in Beirut suggested a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure guarantees on sovereignty and security. Since early March, over 2,580 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 103 healthcare workers, according to the health ministry.