Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Lebanon

Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday killed at least 39 people, the country's health ministry said, as both sides traded fire in violation of a cease-fire reached last month. One strike on the southern town of Saksakiyeh killed at least seven people, including a child, and wounded 15 others including three children.

The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah fighters operating from a structure used for military purposes in the area and had taken steps to reduce harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance. Details of the incident remained under review.

A separate strike on a motorbike in the city of Nabatieh killed a Syrian national and wounded his 12-year-old daughter, who was undergoing life-saving surgery after a drone struck a third time, the health ministry reported. Lebanese state media also described strikes on a highway south of Beirut outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

The Israeli military has not commented on the Nabatieh strike. Officials said most strikes have focused on southern Lebanon, targeting infrastructure and individuals linked to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah have continued near-daily exchanges of fire since the cease-fire took effect on April 16. The agreement, announced by President Donald Trump, has not stopped Israeli air strikes or Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks. Lebanese authorities said Israeli attacks have killed more than 120 people across the country in the past week.

The health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Since March 2, nearly 2,800 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the same ministry. Israeli authorities reported 17 soldiers and one civilian killed in southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.

Israeli forces continue to occupy a strip of territory along the border, aiming to create what they describe as a Hezbollah-free security zone.

Hezbollah said it targeted northern Israel with drones in response to the continued strikes. The Israeli military reported that an explosive drone launched near the border wounded three army reservists, one of them seriously. The group also claimed several attacks on Israeli military targets inside Lebanon using rockets and drones.

Lebanese officials have called for peace while Hezbollah has warned it will not accept a return to conditions before March 2, when it launched rockets into Israel following U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with air strikes and later re-entered southern Lebanon, destroying villages in areas it now occupies up to 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory.

The current cease-fire followed an earlier agreement reached in November 2024. Under its terms, Israel reserves the right to act against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks. Lebanese and Israeli representatives are scheduled to hold a new round of direct talks in Washington next week.

The Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli attacks since the latest cease-fire began have killed dozens. Rights groups have raised concerns about destruction in occupied villages, though Israeli officials maintain the actions are necessary for security.