A series of Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 10 people on Friday, as hostilities between the Israeli military and Hezbollah persisted despite an active ceasefire agreement.
In a simultaneous escalation, the militant group Hezbollah launched rockets and explosive drones into northern Israel, resulting in the wounding of two Israeli soldiers.
These latest exchanges of fire occurred notwithstanding a ceasefire that has been in place since 17 April. Initially declared as a 10-day truce in Washington, the agreement was subsequently extended by three weeks.
However, the continued violence underscores the fragility of the diplomatic effort, as the total death toll in Lebanon since the conflict began on 2 March 2024 has now reached 2,618, with a further 8,094 individuals wounded.
On Friday afternoon, the Israeli military issued an urgent evacuation order for the Lebanese village of Habboush, located near the city of Nabatiyeh.
The military warned residents that anyone remaining in proximity to Hezbollah facilities would be in significant danger.
Shortly after the warning was disseminated, an air strike hit the village, killing six people-including a woman and a child-and wounding eight others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
State-run media further reported that four additional people were killed in separate strikes targeting three other southern villages.
Earlier on Friday, paramedics in Kfar Rumman recovered the bodies of five people from beneath the rubble of a building destroyed late Thursday.
The victims were identified as Malek Hamza and his three sons, Ali, Fadel, and Hamza. The strike also claimed the life of a Lebanese soldier, Ali Jaber, a casualty later confirmed by the national army.
Hezbollah issued six statements throughout Friday claiming responsibility for drone and rocket attacks on Israeli military positions.
The Israeli military confirmed that one explosive drone impacted northern Israel near the border.
Israeli media reports indicated that a separate drone strike near Margaliot ignited a fire and caused light injuries to two soldiers. The human cost of the war has drawn sharp condemnation from international humanitarian officials.
Xavier Castellanos Mosquera, the Under Secretary General for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), visited Lebanon to highlight the plight of medical volunteers.
He revealed that two Lebanese Red Cross volunteers have been killed and 18 others wounded by Israeli strikes during this conflict.
Mosquera described a somber atmosphere where volunteers often embrace before departing on rescue calls, fearing they may not return alive.
The IFRC official also noted that the targeting of humanitarian infrastructure has extended beyond Lebanon.
During a recent visit to Iran, Mosquera found that key facilities of the Iranian Red Crescent Society had been destroyed, including two chemical plants providing raw materials for dialysis components and a rehabilitation centre for children and the elderly.
Israel has consistently denied allegations that it deliberately targets health facilities or emergency workers.
In the port city of Tyre, the Jabal Aamel hospital continues to operate under extreme pressure. Hospital director Wael Mroueh noted that many of the wounded are residents who, despite the danger, chose to return to their homes because they could no longer afford the costs of displacement.
Amongst those being treated is Sanaa Khalil, a 35-year-old Syrian farmer who lost both her legs in an Israeli strike while working at a banana plantation.
Others, like 75-year-old Em Ali Khodor, have returned to damaged apartments in Tyre, preferring the risks of the war zone to the financial hardship of being a refugee.
The current war began on 2 March after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel following joint US and Israeli operations against Iran.
Although the two nations have remained in a formal state of war since 1948, this conflict has led to the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in over thirty years.
