BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed nine people including two children on Thursday, shortly after the president decried Israeli violations of a nearly two-week ceasefire.

Israel has pressed its attacks on Lebanon as the fragile ceasefire, announced after a round of direct talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington, neared its two-week mark.

“Israeli enemy strikes on south Lebanon led, in an initial toll, to nine martyrs, among them two children and five women, and 23 wounded, among them eight children and seven women,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Speaking to a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, President Joseph Aoun had earlier slammed “continuing Israeli violations” in south Lebanon.

He said these were occurring “despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day”.

On Thursday, an Israeli army spokesperson called for the evacuation of eight southern villages ahead of planned military action there.

Shortly after the ceasefire began on April 17, Israel declared a “Yellow Line” a strip of Lebanese territory about 10 kilometres deep along the border, where it has been operating and demolishing villages.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026