BEIRUT: Amid efforts of a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel continued its attacks and targeted paramedic teams on Wednesday in southern part of the country, killing at least three of them.

“The Israeli enemy targeted paramedic teams in the town of Mayfadoun, Nabatiyeh district, three consecutive times,” the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

“This resulted in the martyrdom of three paramedics and the injury of six others, while one paramedic remains missing,” it said.

The Israeli military renewed an order for people to leave a swathe of southern Lebanon as it intensified the attacks on Wednesday, a day after talks with a Lebanese government envoy in Washington, which Hezbollah condemned and termed the Lebanese government move “a national sin” that would widen divisions in a deeply polarised Lebanon.

Israeli military claims to have hit 200 targets; UN condemns Lebanon strikes

The Israeli military said it had struck over 200 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours.

Scale back attacks, says Trump

Trump has urged Israel to scale back attacks in Lebanon, apparently to avoid undermining the ceasefire with Iran.

Israel’s offensive in Lebanon has killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.

Tuesday’s meeting between officials of Lebanon government and Israeli government was hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.

The Israeli and Lebanese envoys said the talks were positive. Israel has said the aim of the talks is to disarm Hezbollah.

Regional efforts for ceasefire

Meanwhile, a Hezbollah lawmaker said Iranian and regional efforts could lead to a Lebanon ceasefire “soon”.

Diplomatic efforts by Iran and other regional countries could produce a ceasefire in Lebanon “soon”, senior Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi on Wednesday said, adding that Tehran had used its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.

“The Iranians are exercising high pressure against the Americans and they have put their conditions that the Americans should include Lebanon in the ceasefire. If they don’t do it, they are going to continue their blockade of Strait of Hormuz. It’s the economic card,” Moussawi said. “The Iranians have opened up to several regional and international parties to achieve this goal,” he said.

Moussawi declined to comment on whether the group would abide by such a ceasefire.

Complaint to UN

In a complaint to the United Nations, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry said the death toll from the April 8 attacks attack of Israel stood at 303, including 30 children and 71 women.

Israel claimed it had launched a ground assault against Hezbollah and its Amal allies.

UN experts condemned Israel’s bombing in Lebanon earlier this month as “illegal aggression and indiscriminate bombing campaign”, the United Nations Human Rights Council said.

“This is not self-defence. It is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace, and an affront to multilateralism and the UN-based international order,” the experts were quoted as saying in a statement.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026