Israel hits multiple towns in southern Lebanon as attacks intensify

Israel’s military has launched air strikes on at least three towns in southern Lebanon, Mahrouna, Jbaa, and al-Majadel, despite the ceasefire in place since last November.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the attack on Jbaa on Thursday destroyed a building in a densely populated residential area and caused extensive damage to nearby structures.

The strike on al-Majadel came about an hour after Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued forced evacuation warnings for the town.

In a post on X, Adraee published maps identifying several buildings in al-Majadel and Braashit as targets, ordering residents to evacuate more than 300 metres (984 feet) from the marked structures, which he claimed had been used by Hezbollah.

The attacks are&nbsp, the latest violations of the ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, following a conflict that began in October 2023.

Since that truce took effect, Israel has conducted near-daily attacks across Lebanon that have killed more than 300 people, including at least 127 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Lebanon, said the timing of Thursday’s attacks was crucial as they came a day after an “unprecedented shift in the nature” of Lebanon’s talks with Israel.

The two countries held their first direct talks in decades this week, seeking an expansion of their peace agreement, though Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam later downplayed the meetings, saying they were not part of any move towards normalisation.

“In the past, under this ceasefire monitoring committee, Lebanon and Israel were represented by military officials. Lebanon has]now] agreed to appoint a civilian representative”, Khodr said.

Khodr added that the ongoing air strikes signalled Israel’s message that “negotiations will be held under fire, until Hezbollah is full disarmed”.

Lebanese army officials have documented 5, 198 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including 657 air strikes, by the end of November.

Israel says its operations are targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure to prevent the armed group from rebuilding its military capabilities and reemerging as a force in the country.

The ceasefire required both sides to halt hostilities, with Lebanon responsible for preventing armed groups from attacking Israel and Israel committed to ending offensive military actions.

However, Israeli forces continue to occupy at least five positions inside Lebanese territory and have not withdrawn despite the agreement’s terms.

Tensions escalated following an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed a senior Hezbollah commander in late November, marking the first attack on Lebanon’s capital in months.

The UN human rights office has called for investigations into Israeli strikes, warning of possible violations of international humanitarian law, particularly after an attack on the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon that killed 11 children.

In a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli army positions on October 8, 2023.

Since then, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, primarily due to intense fighting that took place between September and November of that year.