Escalation of Violence Despite Ceasefire Extension
Beirut, Lebanon – Israeli attacks across Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of at least seven individuals, despite a United States-backed extension of the ceasefire. The strikes occurred on Monday, three days after Lebanese and Israeli officials met in Washington DC to agree on extending their ceasefire for an additional 45 days. However, Israel has repeatedly violated the truce, which was initially established in April.
Among those killed on Monday was Wael Abdel Halim, a leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, along with his 17-year-old daughter, Rama. Their deaths occurred when an Israeli air strike targeted an apartment building in Douris, located in the eastern Baalbek district of Lebanon, as reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
In the Jalil refugee camp for Palestinians on the outskirts of Baalbek, dozens of mourners gathered to honor the victims, marching through the camp in a somber display of grief.
Continued Hostilities Across Southern Lebanon
Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon, with reports of attacks in several locations including Hanaway, Dibal, Deir Ammar, Deir Amess, and Meirka in the Tyre district, according to Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondents on the ground. Additional strikes were also reported in Harouf and other areas throughout the south.
The recent negotiations to extend the ceasefire marked the third round of US-mediated talks, which began with the first direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli representatives in decades. Under the agreement, a US-facilitated security track is expected to start on May 29, with another round of talks scheduled for June 2 and 3 in Washington, DC.
However, the renewed diplomatic efforts have not prevented ongoing Israeli hostilities. The military insists that its actions are aimed at Hezbollah, which has publicly opposed negotiations with Israel. Israeli forces have continued to bomb southern Lebanon while maintaining positions in the area, and Hezbollah remains actively engaged in the conflict.
Hezbollah's Response and Civilian Impact
Hezbollah claimed on Monday that it had targeted an Israeli bulldozer with a drone near Deir Siryan and struck an Israeli military communications drone in the same region. The group also stated that it fired missiles at a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Rashaf, southern Lebanon.
The continued hostilities have significantly affected Lebanon’s civilian population. On Monday, the Israeli military ordered residents of the southern villages of Harouf, Borj El Chmali, and Debaal to evacuate their homes ahead of planned attacks. Army instructions to civilians to move into open areas before the strikes have become increasingly common, effectively leading to forced displacement.
Israel claimed to have struck over 30 targets across southern Lebanon, asserting that the sites belonged to Hezbollah. These targets included weapons warehouses, observation posts, and buildings used to coordinate attacks. In a social media statement, the Israeli military also said it had killed several Hezbollah fighters who were preparing “terror plots” against Israeli forces.
Intensified Bombardment and Humanitarian Crisis
Reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto described the bombardment as intensifying despite the ceasefire extension. "It has been another violent day here in southern Lebanon," Hitto said. "Israel started the day by issuing evacuation orders for four towns and villages in the south of the country. It subsequently conducted strikes on two of those locations."
Strikes were also reported in Az-Zrariyah on a moving vehicle, while another raid in Tayr Debba resulted in significant casualties. Hitto noted that Israel had concentrated much of its firepower over the past two days on the western Bekaa Valley, the Marjayoun district, and the Nabatieh district, targeting villages such as Yohmor, Yohmor Shgeir, Zawtar el-Charqiyeh, and Sohmor.
"There were also further strikes by Israeli jets and drones around the city of Bint Jbeil," he added. "All of this has resulted in a huge humanitarian crisis with more than a million people displaced."
According to the Danish Refugee Council, over 1.2 million people were forced from their homes between March and April due to the fighting.
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