Israel kills 3K+ in Lebanon despite ceasefire extension

Shafaq News- Beirut (Updated at 18:44)

Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 3,089 people and wounded 9,397 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Thursday, while Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continued across southern Lebanon.

Local sources told Shafaq News that Israeli warplanes, artillery, and drones targeted areas across the Tyre, Bint Jbeil, and Nabatieh districts throughout the day, with extensive damage also reported at Tebnine Governmental Hospital in the Bint Jbeil district.

Hezbollah, in response, launched rockets, heavy artillery barrages, and explosive drones targeting Israeli troop and vehicle concentrations in Dibl, Rshaf, Al-Bayyada, Al-Qawzah, and the outskirts of Hadatha and Deir Seryan. The attacks included overnight rocket salvos and explosive drone swarms targeting Israeli military positions near the border, the group explained, describing the operations as retaliation for continued Israeli ceasefire violations and attacks on southern Lebanese areas.

Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber told Reuters the war has caused up to $20 billion in damages and is expected to contract the Lebanese economy by 7 to 10 percent this year.

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, in a statement, appealed to Arab and foreign embassies to pressure Israel to halt attacks on Lebanon and preserve stability, while reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire “provided it covers all areas and includes a halt to hostile acts.”

The escalation comes despite ongoing US-sponsored negotiations focused on Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, border security arrangements, Israeli demands for Hezbollah's disarmament, and Lebanese calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from border areas. Israel and Lebanon agreed last week to extend the ceasefire by 45 days following talks in Washington, with additional military and political negotiations scheduled for May 29 at the Pentagon.

Ahead of the talks, Lebanese media circulated reports questioning the sectarian composition of the Lebanese military delegation, claims the Army Command dismissed as having "no relation whatsoever to the principles of the military institution," affirming that all assigned officers represent Lebanon and are bound by the army's doctrine and national duty.

Read more: Ceasefire without sovereignty: how Lebanon's fragmented power blocks a peace with Israel