The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia escalated further, with eight people killed and 19 injured in an Israeli overnight attack in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported on Monday.
Hezbollah, a Shiite militia, has meanwhile stepped up its attacks on northern Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced new attacks on militia targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday morning.
Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued the instructions in response to Hezbollah’s “repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon and its attacks against our civilians and cities,” they said in a joint statement.
The Beirut suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, are considered a Hezbollah stronghold, but are also densely populated. Since the ceasefire began in mid-April, Israel’s army has rarely attacked there, due to US government requests, according to Israeli media reports.
Air raid alerts were repeatedly triggered in northern Israel due to rocket and drone fire from the neighbouring country. The Israeli military also reported another soldier killed in southern Lebanon. According to Israeli media, the soldier died overnight in a Hezbollah drone attack.
Israel and the Lebanese government struck a ceasefire in mid-April, but Hezbollah is not part of that agreement and has refused to negotiate with Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel have attacked each other since then on an almost daily basis. Israel’s army has expanded its ongoing offensive in southern Lebanon and is advancing further north. Over the weekend, it captured the strategically important Beaufort Castle, a 12th century stronghold. France subsequently called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.