BEIRUT: Israeli attacks have killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon, including several healthcare workers, according to reports.
The strikes took place on Friday in the Tyre district and are the latest in a series of attacks that have raised concerns over the fragility of the US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Since the ceasefire came into effect in mid-April, more than 400 people have been killed by Israeli fire. Israel says it continues to target the Hezbollah armed group, which rejected the Lebanese government’s ceasefire agreement.
In the municipality of Deir Qanoun en-Nahr, six people were confirmed killed in an Israeli strike, including two paramedics and a child. In another attack around 12km away in the town of Hannaouiyah, four paramedics were killed. A separate strike in the southern city of Nabatieh killed one more man.
The Israeli military also carried out multiple air raids across southern Lebanon on Friday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. Targets reportedly included four villages in the Tyre district.
Lebanese officials have accused Israel of the “systematic destruction” of the health sector. The Israeli military, however, has repeatedly said Hezbollah uses civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, to hide weapons and fighters.
Since the latest escalation in early March, Lebanese authorities say 116 healthcare workers have been killed, 16 hospitals damaged, and 147 ambulances hit.
Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine recently condemned what he called the “systematic targeted destruction of the health sector.”
The conflict escalated again in March when Israel resumed military operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah after the group declared support for Tehran.
Since then, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed at least 2,896 people in Lebanon, wounded more than 8,824, and displaced over 1.6 million people—around one-fifth of the country’s population.
A US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in mid-April after negotiations described as the first direct diplomatic talks between Lebanon and Israel in more than 30 years.
Last week, the ceasefire was extended by 45 days, but violence has continued, with both Israel and Hezbollah still exchanging attacks.
In August, the Lebanese government announced plans to disarm Hezbollah, though implementation has proven difficult due to the group’s strong political and military influence in the country.
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on nine individuals linked to Hezbollah, including Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said some of those sanctioned were connected to Lebanon’s parliament, military, and security sectors.
Lebanon’s military rejected the sanctions on Friday, insisting its soldiers remain loyal, and criticizing the inclusion of an army officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah.