Khaberni - At least 17 people were martyred on Thursday in Israeli raids on southern Lebanon, according to the authorities, while President Jozef Aoun condemned the "ongoing violations" by Israel despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
A ceasefire agreement came into effect on April 17, following direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, the first in decades. However, the Israeli occupation army continues to carry out attacks in southern Lebanon, where its spokesperson on Thursday requested the evacuation of more than twenty villages.
Israel launched a series of raids on Thursday on several towns before and after the warning, which included villages mentioned in the warning.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that raids on the towns of Jebchit, Tool, and Harouf "resulted in an initial toll of 9 martyrs including two children and five women, and 23 injured including 8 children and 7 women".
The official National News Agency stated that the raid on Jebchit led to the martyrdom of four individuals, a mother, father, and their two children.
Later, the ministry reported the martyrdom of 6 individuals in the town of Zebdine. The official National News Agency reported that the martyrs rose "after being targeted by an enemy drone with two guided missiles as they were gathering near the town's cemetery (graveyard)".
Furthermore, the Lebanese army announced that a soldier was martyred "along with several family members due to an enemy Israeli raid targeting their home in Kafarroman". The Ministry of Health has not yet issued a toll for this raid.
As the Israeli raids continue, Aoun said during his meeting with a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that "Israeli violations continue in the south despite the announcement of a ceasefire, including the demolition of homes, places of worship, and their levelling, while the number of victims and injured rises day by day."
He added, "Pressure must be put on Israel to respect international laws and agreements and to stop targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defense, and health and relief humanitarian organizations", according to a statement from the presidency.
Meanwhile, the United States, through its embassy in Beirut, urged a direct meeting between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considering that "the time for hesitation is over" and that such a meeting would provide Lebanon with "tangible guarantees" regarding its sovereignty.
In addition to daily strikes, Israeli occupation forces also perform extensive demolition and bombing operations in border towns, where it announced the establishment of a "yellow line" separating dozens of villages from the rest of the Lebanese territories.
