The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) launched fresh strikes in southern Lebanon killing at least 18 people, according to reports.
The IDF announced on Friday that it launched overnight airstrikes across southern Lebanon despite the announcement of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran which also involved a halt in hostilities in the country.
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah also reported intense fighting in the area.
Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that at least 18 people had been killed in the Israeli attacks. It also reported the deaths of four Israeli soldiers, including a battalion commander.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Iran refused to send its delegation to Switzerland for talks with the United States due to Israel’s onslaught on Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said after the announcement of the deal that his forces would not withdraw from the country.
After reports of Hezbollah killing four Israeli soldiers, Israeli Minister of National Security Itmar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media, “All of Lebanon must burn.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also encouraged the military to “open the gates of hell”.
The NNA on Thursday reported that an Israeli drone attack hit a car near the town of Kfar Tebnit and killed two people, while a separate strike killed at least one person in Zabadin.
Hezbolla said it countered a four-day Israeli operation aimed at a deeper incursion into southern Lebanon. The armed group said its fighters attacked Israeli troops and tanks with drones, rockets and artillery, preventing an advance towards Kfar Tebnit.
Meanwhile, the U.S Treasury Department has announced sanctions against multiple Lebanese officials accused of associating with Hezbollah and members of the sanctioned Alaa Hassan Hamieh business network, alleging they obstructed Lebanon’s peace process and delayed the militant group’s disarmament. It also designated individuals and entities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman, claiming they were raising funds and operating front companies on behalf of Hezbollah.
Since the resumption of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in March, at least 3,912 people have been killed, 11,873 injured, and over a million civilians displaced, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
