Lebanon state media says five dead in Israeli strikes

Fresh Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed five people on Saturday, according to Lebanese official media. The strikes targeted more than a dozen locations in the country's south, including the Nabatieh area, despite a ceasefire announced just a day earlier. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes on towns like Arab Salim, Deir Zahrani, and Dweir, where a drone strike on a motorbike reportedly caused one fatality.

The ceasefire, brokered by US and Qatari mediators following talks with Israel and Iran, was confirmed by a Gulf diplomat and an unnamed US official speaking to AFP. Israel's ambassador to the US indicated his country would adhere to the truce if Hezbollah did. However, previous ceasefire announcements have failed to halt attacks from either side.

Lebanon's health ministry stated that Israeli airstrikes and bombardment on the country's south and east had killed 47 people on Friday, marking the deadliest day since a US-Tehran deal aimed at halting the wider Middle East war. This regional agreement was expected to extend to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Amidst the ongoing hostilities, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive ceasefire to facilitate talks with Israel. Direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, initiated in April under US pressure, are scheduled for a fifth round on Tuesday. US officials, including President Donald Trump, have voiced frustration over Israel's actions in Lebanon, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained that Israeli troops would remain in south Lebanon "as long as necessary."

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as long as necessary