Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut
Beirut, Jun 21: At least 20 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, a day after a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah came into effect, raising concerns over the stability of the truce aimed at ending months of escalating violence.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported that Israeli warplanes and drones struck several locations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
Israel said the strikes were carried out in response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what Israel described as Hezbollah targets.
The Israeli military said it had received updated instructions from the political leadership to maintain the ceasefire and was not carrying out offensive operations, but was acting defensively within what it calls a security zone.
The military also said five Israeli soldiers were killed by Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours.
Israel accused Hezbollah of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement and said it remained committed to the truce while reserving the right to respond to threats against civilians and troops.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it continued to support the ceasefire but warned it would respond to any Israeli attempts to occupy territory or expand its presence in Lebanon.
The group accused Israel of carrying out hundreds of ceasefire violations and urged the United States to pressure Israel to stop the attacks.
A senior Hezbollah official said the group would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in occupied Lebanese territory and said armed resistance would continue as long as Israeli forces remained in Lebanon.
The renewed clashes have raised doubts over the durability of the ceasefire and a broader US-Iran understanding announced earlier this week, which depends partly on ending hostilities in Lebanon.
One of the deadliest Israeli strikes hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, mother and their two children, according to a local official.
The Lebanese army said another Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.
NNA also reported that an Israeli airstrike damaged the Nabatieh branch of Lebanon’s central bank. The central bank said the building was directly targeted, causing material damage but no casualties.
Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesperson said peace could be restored if Hezbollah stopped what she described as hostile activities and violations of existing agreements.
She said Israel’s presence in the security zone was aimed at removing threats and dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure rather than targeting civilians.
Residents on both sides expressed frustration over the renewed violence despite the ceasefire.
“All night we heard explosions. We got kind of excited by those statements about a ceasefire, but everything is continuing as usual,” said Ofri Valfer, a resident of northern Israel.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 4,057 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including women, children and medical workers, though it did not provide details on combatant deaths.
Israeli authorities said at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in fighting with Hezbollah.
The US-Iran understanding announced this week calls for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations by the parties and their allies across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions that it believes could restrict its military operations in Lebanon.