Three Israeli drone strikes on vehicles just south of Beirut on Saturday killed four people, while a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 13, including a man and his 12-year-old daughter, according to state media and the Health Ministry.
Escalation Despite Ceasefire
The three drone strikes south of Beirut marked another escalation since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on April 17. Both sides have continued daily attacks despite the truce. On Wednesday night, Israel's air force carried out an airstrike on a southern suburb, killing a senior Hezbollah military official, the first such strike near the capital since the ceasefire.
Details of Saturday's Strikes
Two of the strikes occurred on the highway linking Beirut with the southern port city of Sidon, wounding several people, while the third hit a road leading to Lebanon's Chouf region, killing three, the state-run National News Agency reported. An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw a dead body on the highway in the town of Saadiyat. The Health Ministry reported an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Saksakiyeh killed at least seven, including a child, and wounded 15, calling it an initial count. Strikes in southern Lebanon included one on Bourj Rahhal that killed three and another in Maifadoun that killed one.
Father and Daughter Killed
The Health Ministry said three Israeli drone strikes killed a Syrian man riding a motorcycle with his 12-year-old daughter in Nabatiyeh. After the initial strike, the pair moved away but were attacked again, instantly killing the man. The girl moved about 100 meters and was hit again despite being wounded, later dying in hospital. The Ministry of Public Health denounced the 'barbaric targeting' and 'deliberate violence against civilians and children,' calling it a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law.
Hezbollah Response
The Israeli military said Hezbollah fired explosive drones into Israel near the Lebanon border, wounding three soldiers, one seriously. Hezbollah also fired drones inside Lebanon, hitting an Israeli vehicle without casualties. Hezbollah claimed attacks inside Lebanon and a drone strike on an Israeli military post in Misgav Am.
Background of Conflict
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after the US and Israel launched a war on Hezbollah's main backer, Iran. Israel has since carried out hundreds of airstrikes and launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, capturing dozens of towns and villages. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in over three decades, with a new round scheduled in Washington. A 10-day ceasefire declared in Washington on April 17 was later extended by three weeks.
Diplomatic Efforts
In Damascus, Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, discussing strengthening relations and boosting security cooperation amid regional wars. Salam said Lebanon will not be used again to harm 'our Arab brothers, on top of them Syria,' indirectly referring to Hezbollah's involvement in Syria's civil war, which ended the five-decade Assad family rule in December 2024.
