UPDATE – 1 killed, 8 injured in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, ADDS DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Wassim Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) – One person was killed, and eight others were injured in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said the casualties were reported in the strikes that targeted the Nabatieh province.

The state news agency NNA said two waves of airstrikes hit the Ali al-Taher forest and a former archaeological site in Nabatieh.

Israeli reconnaissance drones and fighter jets also flew at medium altitude in several areas in southern Lebanon, the broadcaster said.

The Israeli army claimed that the strikes targeted an area used by Hezbollah to manage its fire and defense system, adding that the area had been rendered inoperable.

There was no comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli claim.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, for his part, called for an immediate end to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Salam said the Lebanese government had spared "no diplomatic effort for the withdrawal of Israel and the stop of its violations."

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of nearly 200 people and the injuries of around 500 others.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply.

It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.