Israeli military kills six in Lebanon, issues more displacement threats

Israel’s military has killed six people in an air raid on a house in southern Lebanon, the latest violation of a United States-brokered truce that has only ever existed on paper.

The Israeli attack on Monday night targeted a house in the Kfar Dounin municipality, some 100km (60 miles) south of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said.

Seven wounded were brought to hospitals in the coastal city of Tyre, the agency added.

The air raid is the latest in a near-daily series of Israeli attacks despite an April 16 ceasefire, during which Hezbollah has also exchanged fire. Israel’s air force says it has targeted more than 1,100 sites in Lebanon since the so-called truce began.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reports that more than 500 people have been killed during the truce, bringing the total death toll since Israel’s invasion and bombardment of Lebanon began on March 2 to more than 2,800.

Israel showed no signs of slowing its military operations on Tuesday, issuing a series of new forced displacement orders and threats of further attacks. In statements on X, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee told residents to flee from the town of Sohmor in the Bekaa valley, and the towns of Arzoun, Tayr Debba, Bazouriyeh and al-Haush in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military also blew up a water pumping station in the town of Deir Mimas, which overlooks the Litani River, and demolished homes in Bint Jbeil, NNA reported.

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, said there has been a “significant escalation” in attacks in the last week. However, many residents who previously returned to their towns after earlier displacement say they are unwilling to leave again.

“The people are concerned that this is going to continue. But they are not going to be leaving the south,” Hitto said.

Lebanese leaders have appealed to the US to press Israel to halt attacks before a third meeting between Lebanese and Israeli officials set to take place in Washington, DC later this week.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he asked US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa to “exert pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing attacks and violations, in order to consolidate the ceasefire”.