Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to launch "vigorous attacks" against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, just days after a fragile ceasefire was extended. The directive came after at least six people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, further straining the truce.
The ceasefire, brokered with international mediation, had reduced hostilities but not ended them entirely. On Thursday, it was extended by three weeks following talks in Washington.
According to Lebanon's health ministry, four people died in Israeli strikes on a truck and a motorbike in Yohmor al-Shaqeef, while two others were killed and 17 wounded in an attack on Safad al-Battikh. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had "eliminated" three Hezbollah members driving a vehicle loaded with weapons, plus another on a motorcycle. Two more armed members were killed in the Litani area, where Israeli troops remain in a self-declared buffer zone.
The IDF also reported a "suspicious aerial target" near Malkia, calling it a ceasefire violation.
Hezbollah retaliated by targeting an Israeli army vehicle in south Lebanon, according to AFP. Following Netanyahu's orders, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported fresh strikes in Bint Jbeil, Tyre, and Nabatieh districts. The Israeli military said it struck "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon."
Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and has been conducting large-scale demolitions.
Separately, the Media Freedom Coalition—a partnership including the UK and Finland—condemned attacks on journalists, after Amal Khalil, a reporter for a Lebanese newspaper, was killed in an Israeli strike on Wednesday. Freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj was also injured. Officials in Lebanon claim the journalists were deliberately targeted while sheltering in a home. The IDF denied intentionally striking journalists.
"The UK and Finland strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers," the coalition said.