Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including two women, as reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry on Sunday. Israel conducted these strikes in response to alleged drone attacks by Hezbollah within areas occupied by Israeli troops, despite a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. in June. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that two men were killed in a town near the zone occupied by Israeli forces, while the two women were killed in Arab Salim, located north of the occupied area.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for areas close to a building in Arab Salim that it intended to strike due to alleged Hezbollah presence. This strike led to the death of two girls and injuries to six others. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office denounced the strikes, labeling them as a dangerous escalation that targeted civilian establishments and health centers, including the destruction of a hospital and damage to a Finance Ministry building. President Aoun held Israel responsible for the escalation and called for immediate international intervention to stop the violations.
The Israeli military stated that its targets included Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and a command center within a building previously used as a hospital. It emphasized the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian casualties. This evacuation warning marked the second since the ceasefire announcement in June.
The first online evacuation order was issued on August 5 for residents of Mansouri near Tyre. Earlier strikes in southern Lebanon had caused casualties without prior warnings. Hezbollah accused Israel of escalating tensions to pressure the Lebanese government engaged in talks with Israel under U.S. mediation, a dialogue rejected by the Iran-backed group.
Since March 2, over 4,300 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon due to Israeli airstrikes following Hezbollah’s actions in support of Iran.