Beirut: Israeli airstrikes continued across southern Lebanon on Saturday, just a day after a renewed ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was announced. At least five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike early Saturday morning.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), the victims were killed in a strike targeting the town of Arabsalim in southern Lebanon. The agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out a series of air raids across the Nabatieh district from Friday night into Saturday morning.
The report added that several residential buildings and homes were destroyed in the attacks. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted Nabatieh City and its surrounding areas before dawn on Saturday.
According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli military launched four airstrikes on Nabatieh City and the nearby town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while more than 20 air raids were carried out across southern Lebanon.
The latest escalation comes despite the announcement of a renewed ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel on Friday, which was scheduled to take effect at 4:00 p.m. local time.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military carried out more than 106 attacks across Lebanon, killing at least 47 people and injuring 97 others, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned that Lebanon is passing through what he described as “the most dangerous phase in its modern history.” He said there was a plan aimed at ending the Lebanese resistance and removing it entirely from the country’s political landscape.
In a speech delivered on Friday, Qassem stated that attempts had been made to create discord between the Lebanese army and the resistance, but the awareness of the military institution and its leadership prevented such efforts from succeeding.
He also expressed confidence that the Israeli military would eventually withdraw from all Lebanese territory and said that Hezbollah had recently enhanced its military capabilities to defend its people and land.