Lebanon’s health ministry has reported a significant escalation in violence following Israeli airstrikes in the southern region of the country, which claimed the lives of 13 individuals on Friday. This includes eight fatalities, among them a child and two women, in the town of Habboush, where Israeli authorities had previously issued an evacuation order despite an existing ceasefire agreement.
The strikes in Habboush also resulted in 21 individuals sustaining injuries, prompting concerns about civilian safety amid increasing hostilities. Additional strikes in Zrariyeh ended the lives of four more people, including two women, and left four others injured. A separate attack in Ain Baal, close to the coastal city of Tyre, resulted in one death and seven injuries.
Eyewitness accounts from an AFP photographer described a grim scene in Habboush, where clouds of smoke billowed into the sky following the attacks. Reports from the state-run National News Agency (NNA) indicate that Israeli warplanes began a series of heavy attacks on the area shortly after the evacuation warning was issued.
The Israeli military has stated its intent to act decisively against Hezbollah in response to perceived violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Iran-backed group. In this context, residents were advised to move to open areas at least one kilometer away from the town to mitigate risk to civilian lives. The NNA also reported additional strikes and artillery fire targeting other areas in southern Lebanon, including Tyre.
Despite a ceasefire taking effect on April 17, which was designed to end a protracted conflict that spanned more than six weeks between Israel and Hezbollah, violence has persisted. The ceasefire permits Israel to respond to “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks,” and recent military actions have reportedly involved the Israeli army operating inside a designated “Yellow Line” that extends about 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Accounts suggest that Israeli forces have conducted extensive demolitions of buildings, including a monastery and a school run by a religious order in the town of Yaroun.
In a counter response, Hezbollah has announced a series of strikes against Israeli military targets in southern Lebanon, claiming these actions were retaliation for the ongoing violations of the ceasefire by Israeli forces. The conflict was reignited in March when Hezbollah retaliated with rocket fire against Israel, following the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei by U.S.-Israeli forces.
As the violence unfolds, Lebanon’s health ministry now reports over 2,600 deaths attributed to Israeli airstrikes since early March, including 103 emergency workers and paramedics. The dire situation has raised alarms regarding the safety of humanitarian workers, with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies highlighting the perilous conditions faced by Lebanese Red Cross volunteers on missions. Reports indicate that two paramedics have also died in these conflicts.
Xavier Castellanos, the organization’s under-secretary general for national society development and coordination, expressed deep concern over the targeting of those who aim to save lives, stressing that it is “absolutely unacceptable” for individuals engaged in humanitarian relief to face such risks. The continuous escalation of violence calls into question the effectiveness of ceasefire agreements and underscores the urgent need for a renewed dialogue to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
