7 killed as Israeli army launches airstrikes on Beirut, southern Lebanon in new ceasefire violation

At least seven people were killed and several others when the Israeli army launched airstrikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut and areas in southern Lebanon on Sunday despite an ongoing ceasefire, Lebanese media said.

The state news agency NNA said that three people were killed and 15 others injured in strikes targeting the Lebanese capital.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the strikes hit the Dahiyeh without prior warning.

Two explosions were heard in the area, with smoke seen rising from the targeted sites, he added.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that the strikes hit a target belonging to the Lebanese group Hezbollah in the area.

The attack came hours after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for launching airstrikes on Dahiyeh following two Hezbollah drone strikes in northern Israel, despite the ceasefire in effect since April 17.

In the Tyre district, an Israeli drone strike hit an orchard in the Housh area, killing two people, NNA said. Ambulance crews from the Risala Scout Association transferred the bodies to a local hospital.

In another attack, an Israeli strike on a residential neighborhood in Housh near Tyre killed one and injured four others.

Further south, a strike on the Masilh road in the Sidon district killed a resident of the border town of Kfar Shouba, according to the agency.

The Israeli army has continued a bombing campaign on Lebanon since March 2 and occupied several towns in the country’s south.

The Israeli attacks have killed nearly 3,800 people, wounded 11,700, and displaced over 1.5 million since then, according to Lebanese officials.