Israel launched new airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure sites in several areas. The strikes followed a US announcement extending the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government for 45 days after talks in Washington. Israel said the operations were aimed at Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, to protect Israeli citizens. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported strikes hitting at least five southern villages, with residents fleeing toward Sidon and Beirut. The US extension did not include Hezbollah, and the State Department said Hezbollah attacks continued without the Lebanese government’s consent and aimed to derail the process. Lebanese authorities reported more than 2,900 deaths in Lebanon since March 2, including over 400 since mid-April truce began.
"Israel launched new airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, a day after the US announced a 45-day extension of the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government following talks in Washington. Israel says it is targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) have begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in several areas in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said."
"Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes on at least five villages in the south, preceded by an exodus of residents toward the southern city of Sidon and the capital Beirut. The ceasefire announcement by the US on Friday didn't include the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon."
""The United States remains cognizant of the challenges posed by Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel, without the consent or approval of the Government of Lebanon, undertaken in order to derail this process," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. The Israeli military maintains that they've been targeting Hezbollah's operations in southern Lebanon to protect Israeli citizens."
"More than 2,900 people have been killed in Lebanon since it was dragged into the wider Middle East conflict on March 2, including more than 400 since the truce took effect in mid-April, according to Lebanese authorities."
#israel-lebanon-ceasefire #hezbollah #southern-lebanon-airstrikes #us-state-department #middle-east-conflict
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