Lebanon says nine killed in Israeli strikes on southern villages

Nine people were killed in Israeli strikes on villages in southern Lebanon on Monday, after Israel said it was taking aim at dozens of Hezbollah targets in retaliation for an attack claimed by the militant group during a fragile ceasefire.

Both Israel and Hezbollah faced accusations Monday of breaching the truce that took effect Wednesday to end a war that has killed thousands of people in Lebanon and sparked mass displacements on both sides of the border.

The Israeli military in a statement said that it “struck Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon”.

“Israel demands that the relevant parties in Lebanon fulfil their responsibilities and prevent Hezbollah’s hostile activity,” the statement said.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the strikes killed five people and wounded two in the village of Haris “in an initial toll”, while in the village of Tallous, another four people were killed and one wounded.

Earlier, Hezbollah said it had launched an attack targeting an Israeli position in “the occupied hills of Kfar Shouba”, in a disputed part of the border area between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel’s military said Hezbollah had launched two projectiles towards one of its posts in the area of Har Dov, Israel’s term for the disputed Shebaa Farms.

After that attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of a “serious violation” and vowed to “respond forcefully”.

“We are determined to uphold the ceasefire and respond to any violation by Hezbollah, no matter how minor or serious,” he said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also vowed a “harsh response”.

Shortly afterwards, the Israeli military said it was striking targets in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported strikes on areas of the country’s south, where Hezbollah has long held sway, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the border with Israel.

Shopkeepers in the suburbs of Beirut on Monday were busy cleaning up damage from air strikes and reopening their stores following the truce.

“I reopened my store today, we’re organizing and putting everything back in its place, our merchandise, and we’re starting from scratch,” store owner Ali Qima Zaiter told AFP.

Mohammad Yassin, who owns a bakery, said his store had been “slightly damaged by a nearby strike”.

“I’ve been repairing the damage for four days and, God willing, tomorrow Tuesday we’ll reopen the store,” he said.

Israel has carried out a near-daily series of strikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire was put in place, and earlier on Monday, Beirut’s powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri accused it of violating the truce.

“The aggressive actions carried out by Israeli occupation forces... represent a flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” said Berri, who helped mediate the truce on behalf of ally Hezbollah.

The fighting escalated after Israel moved its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from Hezbollah attacks, dealing the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim movement a series of stunning blows.

In Saudi Arabia, where French President Emmanuel Macron is on a state visit, he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to “make every effort to contribute to de-escalation in the region”, including helping to consolidate the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

The two leaders also called for presidential elections in Lebanon “with the aim of bringing the Lebanese people together and carrying out the reforms necessary for the stability and security of the country”, Macron’s office said in a statement.

Also Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in a call there was a need “for all sides to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon”, the foreign ministry said.

Saar rejected accusations that Israel had violated the truce, claiming instead that his country’s strikes were “enforcing” the ceasefire.

“We hear claims that Israel is violating the ceasefire understandings in Lebanon. On the contrary! Israel is enforcing them in response to Hezbollah’s violations, which demand immediate action,” he said in a statement.

He also said Hezbollah had attempted to move weapons in southern Lebanon and their presence “south of the Litani river is the most basic violation of the understandings”.

Under the deal, Hezbollah must withdraw its fighters from areas south of the river, and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south.

As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over a period of 60 days.

A committee including France, UN peacekeepers, Israel, Lebanon and chaired by the United States is tasked with maintaining communication between the various parties and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with to avoid any escalation.

“We ask the technical committee formed to monitor the implementation of this agreement where it stands on ongoing violations... that have exceeded 54 breaches,” Berri added, urging it to “oblige Israel to stop its violations and withdraw from territories it occupies”.

The United States said Monday it believed that a ceasefire was still holding in Lebanon and that it was looking at potential violations.

Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges launched by the militant group in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas and its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Earlier on Monday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli drone wounded a soldier in the east.

Israel’s military said it was “aware of reports regarding a soldier from the Lebanese military who was injured in one of the strikes and the incident is under investigation”.

The army said it was responding to “several acts by Hezbollah in Lebanon that posed a threat to Israeli civilians in violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon”.