Israeli Strikes on South Lebanon Continue After Ceasefire Extension
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the day after Friday’s 45-day ceasefire extension was announced in Washington, the Associated Press reported. The Lebanese national news agency reported strikes on at least five villages preceded by mass evacuations toward Sidon and Beirut; the Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders for nine villages and said it was responding to Hezbollah’s “violations of the ceasefire agreement”. Hezbollah launched at least one drone toward Israel; sirens triggered in the Meron area, no injuries reported.
The truce extension agreed on Friday in Washington was structured as a political track resuming at the State Department on 2-3 June and a security track at the Pentagon on 29 May. The US has explicitly permitted Israel to continue targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure it deems an immediate threat — meaning the ceasefire is operationally a lower-intensity continuation of conflict rather than a halt. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health put the cumulative civilian toll at 2,969 killed and 9,112 wounded since 2 March. AP and Reuters separately reported Friday-evening strikes on a civil defence centre in Harouf killed six, including three paramedics.