Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least six people, including three paramedics at a health centre, just hours after envoys from Israel and Lebanon agreed with the Lebanese government to extend a ceasefire. The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that it was targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in the region.
Details of the Strikes
Lebanon's state-run media reported that at least five villages in the south were hit by strikes. An airstrike on Friday hit a clinic run by the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee, killing six people, three of whom were paramedics. The Israeli military stated it had killed Hezbollah militants preparing to fire rockets at its troops in southern Lebanon. The new strikes triggered a fresh exodus of civilians from the south.
Ceasefire Extension
The strikes came after envoys from Israel and Lebanon completed talks in Washington, agreeing to extend a month-long partly observed ceasefire for an additional 45 days and to establish a US-supervised security mechanism between their armies. However, Hezbollah has denounced the talks, and Israel has only partly observed the ceasefire ordered by Donald Trump on 17 April, restricting attacks on Beirut and northern Lebanon while focusing military operations in the south.
Hamas Military Chief Killed
Israel also confirmed on Saturday that it had killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the last surviving Hamas senior official suspected of planning the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel. Haddad was the latest acting Hamas military chief to die in Gaza. The October 2023 attack killed 1,200 people and ignited the latest Gaza war.
Ongoing Tensions
Israel has accused Hamas of violating the fragile eight-month-old ceasefire in Gaza by refusing to disarm. Hamas has blamed Israel for failing to abide by the first phase of the truce, continuing airstrikes and stealthily moving the agreed demarcation line westwards into Hamas-controlled parts of Gaza. In recent days, Israeli media has predicted a return to full-scale war across the region as truces fray amid scant diplomatic progress.
Meanwhile, reports in the US and Israeli press said Donald Trump had been briefed on military options in Iran should he decide to break a five-week-old truce and resume strikes to force concessions at the negotiating table. Pakistani-led mediation has failed to bring diplomatic progress in more than a month since Islamabad brokered a ceasefire in the Iran war, with negotiating positions of the US and Iran still far apart.
