Lebanon Health Ministry Reports 14 Dead in Israeli Strikes, Deadliest Day Since Ceasefire

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Sunday killed 14 people, the deadliest day since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force over a week ago.

The health ministry said the dead on Sunday included two women and two children, adding that 37 other people were wounded.

Israel said one of its soldiers was also killed during combat in southern Lebanon, and six were wounded, four of them severely.

The US-mediated ceasefire, which started on 16 April and has been extended to mid-May, has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, though both sides have continued to fire at each other, trading blame over breaches.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was “vigorously” targeting Hezbollah, accusing the group of dismantling the ceasefire through its violations. Hezbollah said it would not cease its attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon and on towns in northern Israel as long as Israel continued its “ceasefire violations”.

The Iran-backed group added in a statement that it would not wait for diplomacy that has “proven ineffective” or rely on Lebanese authorities that had “failed to protect the country”.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 36 people since the truce began, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.

Over 50,000 Lebanon housing units have been damaged or destroyed in the war.