BEIRUT/ANKARA

The fourth and final phase of Lebanon’s municipal elections kicked off Saturday in Lebanon's southern governorates, amid ongoing Israeli attacks and ceasefire violations.

This marks Lebanon’s first local elections in nearly a decade, with the last one held in 2016 before being postponed three times due to political and security crises.

Polls opened at 7 am local time (0400GMT) and will close at 7 pm (1600GMT), followed by vote counting, state-run Lebanese News Agency (NNA) reported.

The elections come after Israeli warplanes and drones conducted heavy strikes Friday, violating the ceasefire agreement.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks, warning that they occurred at a "critical time" ahead of the southern vote.

The elections' first phase began on May 4 in the Mount Lebanon governorate, followed by the second phase on May 11 in North Lebanon and Akkar, and the third phase on May 18 in Beirut and Bekaa, according to the Lebanese Interior Ministry.

Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities, despite the ceasefire that was reached in November.

The truce ended months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group 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 over 200 victims and injuries to at least 500 others since last November.

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. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.