BEIRUT, May 14: Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 12 people, including a woman and her two children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Seven vehicles were hit in multiple locations, including three strikes on a main highway south of Beirut linking the capital to Sidon, while other attacks targeted Saadiyat and areas deeper in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it struck infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in several southern regions, following evacuation warnings issued to residents in six villages. Lebanon’s state media reported additional drone strikes on vehicles along the Beirut–Sidon highway, with further casualties in separate incidents across the country’s south.
The strikes come despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 17, as both Israel and Hezbollah continue exchanging fire across the border. Hezbollah has used drones and rockets against Israeli positions, while Israel has maintained regular air operations in response.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed growing concern over escalating violence near its bases in southern Lebanon. It reported suspected Hezbollah drone detonations near and inside its headquarters in Naqoura, causing structural damage but no injuries. Diplomatic efforts continue, with Lebanon and Israel expected to hold direct talks in Washington aimed at reducing tensions between the long-standing adversaries. The conflict escalated on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel following earlier US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Since then, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports nearly 2,900 deaths and over 8,800 injuries amid ongoing hostilities. (AP)
