BEIRUT

Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes late Thursday on southern and eastern Lebanon and flew over the capital Beirut and its suburbs, marking six new violations of a ceasefire agreement.

The latest Israeli violations brought the total since the implementation of the agreement between Israel and Lebanon to 863, according to statistics based on Lebanese news agency reports.

Fighter jets attacked an eastern mountain range that borders the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Israel also carried out two airstrikes in Nabatiyeh district of southern Lebanon targeting the valley between the towns of Bfaroueh and Aazze, according to NNA. The exact targets and casualty figures remain unclear.

Witnesses meanwhile told an Anadolu correspondent that Israeli warplanes were observed flying over Beirut, its suburbs and central Lebanon.

In justifying the escalation, Israeli Army Radio cited an unnamed security source claiming that the airstrikes were targeting “sites deep inside Lebanon” under the pretext of “attempts to transfer weapons from Syria and establish new Hezbollah positions.”

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah group that began on Oct. 8, 2023 and escalated into a full-scale conflict on Sept. 23 last year.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel has killed and injured dozens in Lebanon, including women and children.

Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26 under the ceasefire deal, but it refused and the deadline was extended to Feb. 18.