Israeli Strikes Kill at Least Four in Southern Lebanon

At least four people were killed on Saturday when Israeli forces carried out multiple strikes on southern Lebanon, including attacks on a truck and a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, according to Lebanon's state news agency and Health Ministry. The strikes occurred just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, and they represent the latest in a pattern of continued Israeli military operations despite the nominal truce. The attacks targeted several areas including Qantara, Qusayr, Wadi Hassan, and Houla with artillery shelling, while Israeli forces also demolished buildings with explosives in Bint Jbeil and Khiam. Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad condemned the attacks, saying the ceasefire had become "meaningless in light of Israel's insistence on hostile acts, including assassinations, shelling, and gunfire," and asserted that Hezbollah retains the right to retaliate. The Israeli military, however, accused Hezbollah of its own ceasefire violation, claiming two projectiles were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel, with one intercepted and the other landing in an open area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel was "maintaining full freedom of action against any threat" and accused Hezbollah of attempting to sabotage the ceasefire pause. The strikes have compounded an already dire humanitarian situation in Lebanon. Since March 2, when Israel launched expanded attacks following Hezbollah's cross-border offensive, nearly 2,500 people have been killed and over 1 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. Civilians like Huda Kamal Mansour, who fled Aitaroun village with her nine-year-old son and has been living in a Beirut stadium for 45 days, described the terror of bombardment and being surrounded by Israeli tanks. Yohmor al-Shaqif remains notable as the only town north of the Litani River included in Israel's unilaterally declared buffer zone that has not been captured by Israeli forces.