A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came under immediate strain after Israeli air strikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Saturday, according to Lebanese state media.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of overnight strikes across the Nabatieh region, targeting residential buildings and homes. Israeli artillery also shelled areas in and around Nabatieh before dawn, the report said.
The attacks occurred just hours after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect on Friday. The truce was brokered with the involvement of U.S. and Qatari mediators following a sharp escalation in hostilities that had raised concerns about a broader regional conflict.
A U.S. official said the ceasefire came into force at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Friday. The agreement was also confirmed by a senior Israeli official and two sources within Hezbollah, according to Reuters.
Earlier this week, intensified fighting in Lebanon had threatened wider diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a broader peace framework involving Iran and reopening critical shipping routes in the Middle East.
While neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately announced a breakdown of the ceasefire, Saturday’s violence is likely to raise questions about the durability of the agreement.
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