Israeli Strikes Kill 14 in Lebanon Amid Ongoing Ceasefire

On Sunday, Israeli strikes in Lebanon resulted in 14 fatalities, according to the country’s health ministry. The attack also left 37 others wounded. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had issued evacuation alerts for several southern villages earlier that day, urging residents to leave immediately and warning that remaining could put their lives at risk.

Following the warnings, the IDF stated it conducted “artillery and aerial strikes” against Hezbollah positions, claiming the group used these sites to launch attacks on Israeli troops. A separate incident saw a Hezbollah drone strike kill a 19-year-old IDF soldier and injure six others in southern Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah targeted Israel with three drones, which were intercepted by the Israeli air force before crossing the border.

Lebanon and Israel remain bound by a fragile semi-permanent ceasefire, effective since 16 April and extended by three weeks on Thursday. The agreement grants Israel the authority to take defensive action at any time against planned or ongoing threats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized during a government meeting that the IDF’s operations are “active and forceful,” asserting that Hezbollah’s actions are “undermining the ceasefire.”

“We are acting vigorously according to the rules we agreed upon with the United States, and incidentally, with Lebanon as well. This means freedom of action, not only to respond to attacks, which is obvious, but to thwart immediate threats and also to neutralise emerging threats,” Netanyahu said.

The escalation occurred after the IDF targeted Hezbollah “military structures” overnight, accusing the Iran-backed group of sending two explosive UAVs toward Israel. Since the ceasefire began, both sides have reported cross-border attacks, blaming each other for breaching the agreement. On Saturday, Netanyahu ordered intensified military action against Hezbollah, leading to at least six deaths in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, returned to Pakistan to outline Tehran’s approach for resuming peace talks with Washington. The U.S. had extended the ceasefire, originally set to expire on 22 April, to allow negotiations to continue. Araghchi, who met with Pakistani officials on Saturday, is set to visit Moscow on Monday to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s decision to cancel a planned trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad came shortly after Araghchi departed for Oman. The White House noted Iran’s interest in dialogue but clarified that no direct talks with the U.S. were scheduled. Araghchi, who described Washington’s commitment to diplomacy as “uncertain” on Saturday, now aims to solidify relations with Moscow.