Israel kills nine people in southern Lebanon despite ‘ceasefire’ 

Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon have killed at least nine people, according to the country’s National News Agency (NNA), despite a three-week extension to the United States-mediated “ceasefire” announced last week.

In the municipality of Jebchit, three people were killed and seven wounded in an attack that destroyed a residential building. In the municipality of Toul, four people were killed and six wounded. While in the municipality of Harouf, two people were killed, and the attack also destroyed a house.

Israeli forces have intensified their attacks in southern Lebanon over recent days, with artillery shelling reported in the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Yohmor al-Shaqif, and Bayt al-Sayyad.

In the past 24 hours alone, Israeli air attacks have killed more than 20 people, including two families, two Lebanese army soldiers, and three paramedics. More than 70 others, including children, were injured in the attacks.

The Israeli army has also just issued more forced displacement threats for 15 southern Lebanese towns and villages, including Jebchit, Toul, al-Samanieh, Sahel al-Hnieh, Qlailah, Wadi Jilo, al-Kanisa, Kafr Jouz, Majdal Zoun, and Seddiqine.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz promised that southern Lebanon’s fate will be like Gaza’s, despite a temporary US-mediated “ceasefire” deal agreed between Israel and Hezbollah almost two weeks ago that was extended by three weeks last week.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the “continuing Israeli violations” in southern Lebanon on Thursday, saying they 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”.

“Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence, and humanitarian health and relief organisations,” the Lebanese president added.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for “the swift formation of an international fact-finding committee on the crimes of the Israeli occupation”.

Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb said “Lebanon’s President Aoun has asked the US for a date for negotiations to restart but has also said that Israel must fully implement the ceasefire.

“The Lebanese government, Israel and the US have sought to distance the talks from the US talks with Iran. But with the fighting continuing to escalate, it seems the only thing that would slow it down is further pressure from Trump on Israel to stop,” he said.

Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed at least 2,576 people in Lebanon, with 7,962 wounded, according to the latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.