Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut

Beirut, May 2: At least seven people were killed and several others injured in fresh Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday, even as a ceasefire remains in place between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

The strikes followed evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military to residents in nine villages, urging them to leave ahead of possible operations.

According to Lebanon’s state-run media, one strike targeted a vehicle, killing two people, while another hit a residential house, leaving three dead. A separate airstrike in the village of Shoukin reportedly claimed two more lives. Several others were injured, though the final casualty count is yet to be confirmed.

The violence comes despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17, with tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border remaining high due to continued cross-border attacks.

Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting Israeli troops inside a house in the coastal village of Bayed, stating that the attack was in response to ongoing Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.

The current escalation began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel following military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Since then, the conflict has intensified, raising fears of a wider regional war involving multiple Iran-backed groups. Thousands of civilians have been displaced on both sides of the border, with repeated strikes causing extensive damage to towns and villages.

Efforts to restore a lasting ceasefire have so far failed, with both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of repeated violations.