Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed two people Tuesday, the health ministry said, a day before the next meeting the committee monitoring the year-long ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel has intensified its strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon in recent days, saying it is targeting alleged Hezbollah and Hamas targets.
The strike on on Kfar Dunin, south Lebanon, killed two people, according to the health ministry.
In a statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that “Israel’s continued attacks aim to thwart all efforts made locally, regionally and internationally to stop the ongoing Israeli escalation, despite the response shown by Lebanon to these efforts at various levels”.
In spite of the ceasefire, Israel has carried out frequent strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is bombing Hezbollah sites and operatives, and occasionally Hamas targets.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said its operations the day before had struck infrastructure “belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organisations in several areas in Lebanon”.
According to the military, the targets included “several weapon storage facilities and military structures, both above and below ground”.
A strike early on Tuesday targeted Ghazieh, near the southern coastal city of Sidon, destroying a building and damaging its surroundings, causing a fire on site which firefighters deployed to combat, according to an AFP photographer.
The attacks came as the committee monitoring a year-long ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah — which includes the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations — prepared to meet on Wednesday.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is also visiting Lebanon, set to meet with Lebanese officials on Wednesday.
Lebanon’s cabinet will convene later this week to discuss the Lebanese military’s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a plan launched under heavy US pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli strikes.
The Lebanese army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River — about 30 kilometres from the border with Israel — by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.
In his statement, Aoun said the government’s plan to “extend its authority over the south of the Litani” was “implemented by the Lebanese army with professionalism, commitment and precision”.
Israel has previously questioned the Lebanese military’s effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday called the disarmament efforts far from sufficient.
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