Israel launches new airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

By Naim Berjawi and Rania Abu Shamala

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement in place since November 2024, Lebanese media said.

The attacks targeted the area between the outskirts of the Midane plain, Kafr Rumman, and Jarmaq in Nabatieh, the state news agency NNA reported.

Footage on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from the area, but there was no information yet about casualties or damage.

NNA said an Israeli drone also struck a house in the town of Houmine al-Fawqa in Nabatieh.

A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 following a year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that began in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.

Under the terms of the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. However, it has so far only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.