Lebanon says at least one killed in Israel strikes on south

Lebanese official media reported three Israeli strikes south of Beirut on Saturday despite a three-week-old ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Hezbollah meanwhile said it targeted northern Israel with a drone in response to continued Israeli attacks.

Israeli forces and Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since April 17.

"The Israeli enemy launched two strikes on the Saadiyat highway," the state-run National News Agency reported, referring to a location around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

It later reported a third strike nearby.

An AFP correspondent saw two stricken cars and emergency workers in attendance along the highway, which links Beirut with the country's south.

The NNA also reported a series of Israeli strikes across the south, including one on the southern town of Saksakiyeh saying there were casualties without additional information.

Israel's military had called on residents of nine villages to evacuate, warning that it would act "forcefully" against Hezbollah after its "violation of the ceasefire agreement".

The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli strike on a motorbike in the city of Nabatieh outside the evacuation areas hit "a Syrian national and his 12-year-old daughter".

"After they managed to move away from the site of the first strike, the drone attacked a second time," killing the father, the ministry said, while the drone then targeted the girl "directly for a third time".

The girl was undergoing life-saving surgery, the ministry said.

- 'A new phase' -

Under the terms of the ceasefire released by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks".

Israeli troops are also operating inside an Israeli-declared "yellow line", running around 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Lebanon along the border, where residents have been warned not to return.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Saturday warned of "a new phase, in which the resistance (Hezbollah) will not accept a return to pre-March 2".

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

"When it attacks our villages and suburbs, the enemy must expect a response, and this is what the resistance is doing," Fadlallah said, alluding to an Israeli attack this week on Beirut's southern suburbs that it said targeted a Hezbollah commander.

Hezbollah said on Saturday that it targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers near Misgav Am", northern Israel, with a drone in response to "the Israeli enemy's violation of the ceasefire".

It also announced attacks on Israeli military targets inside Lebanon.

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had identified "an explosive drone launched by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation" near the border in the north, adding that "security forces are currently operating at the scene to neutralise the drone". It reported no injuries.

- 'Whatever the cost' -

After a 2024 ceasefire that followed a previous war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon, while the Iran-backed group refrained from firing back.

"Whatever the cost or the challenges, the resistance will not allow a return to the previous phase," Fadlallah said.

He also said direct talks with Israel amounted to a "path of concessions", reiterating his party's call for the government to withdraw in favour of indirect talks.

Lebanese and Israeli representatives are set to hold a third round of direct talks in Washington next week.

The first meeting was held days before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in Lebanon, and the second round as he announced a three-week extension of the truce.

Earlier Saturday, Israel's military said it had struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites "from the air and on the ground" in the past 24 hours, including weapon storage facilities and launchers.

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