Israeli strikes kill 16 in Lebanon hours after ceasefire
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight.
Summary
- Israel says it struck in response to Hezbollah rocket fire
- Hezbollah says Israel can't have free movement in Lebanon
- Israeli military says it remains committed to ceasefire
- Clashes pose risks to US-Iran interim deal
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday (20 June), Lebanese Civil Defence said, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, with Israel saying it was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group.
Lebanon's National News Agency said Israeli warplanes and drones had hit multiple locations in the south and the Bekaa Valley.
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An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes on what the official said were "Hezbollah targets".
The Israeli military, which has occupied swathes of southern Lebanon, said in a statement that Hezbollah's attacks constituted repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.
It said it remained committed to the truce in accordance with political directives, and would respond decisively to any attacks on Israeli civilians or troops.
Hezbollah also said it remained committed to the ceasefire but would respond to any attempt by Israel to "seize territory or expand its occupation".
The group said Israeli forces attempted overnight to infiltrate the Ali al-Taher hill area in southern Lebanon. It said its fighters engaged them, after which Israel carried out airstrikes inside and outside its declared operational area.
A senior Hezbollah official said the group would not allow Israel "freedom of movement" in occupied Lebanese territory, adding that resistance remained legitimate while Israeli forces remained in Lebanon.
The strikes highlight the fragility of a truce intended to halt months of escalating violence, and of an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that hinges in part on an end to the conflict in Lebanon.
Deadly strikes
One of the deadliest Israeli strikes hit a three-storey residential building in the southern town of Barish in the Tyre district, killing a father, a mother and their two children, a town official said.
The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike had killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.
Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson said calm could be achieved if Hezbollah halted what she described as hostile activity and violations of agreements.
She said Israel's presence in a security zone aimed to remove threats and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, not harm civilians.
A US official said the truce took effect at 4pm (1300 GMT) on Friday, and a senior Israeli official and two Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement.
Lebanon's health ministry says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since 2 March, including medics, women and children. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed.
The US-Iran understanding announced this week calls for an immediate, permanent end to military operations by the parties and their allies across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
Israel, which was not part of those negotiations, has opposed provisions that it says could constrain its campaign in Lebanon.
