Israel says Hezbollah violated ceasefire as Lebanon toll rises

Israeli strikes follow rocket fire

The Israeli army on Saturday said its strikes on southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours were a response to "flagrant violations" by Hezbollah, as the Lebanese group maintained it had adhered to the ceasefire since the truce took effect. In a statement, the military claimed Hezbollah fired more than 50 shells overnight at Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon, describing the barrage as a "repeated violation" of the agreement. It said warplanes targeted "dozens of Hezbollah infrastructure sites and operatives," including rocket-launching positions, weapons depots and command centers.

Hezbollah denies violations

Hezbollah said on Saturday it has adhered to the ceasefire since Friday evening despite Israeli violations that began "from the first moments" the US-Iran agreement entered into force, which it said also applies to Lebanon. "Alongside commitment to the ceasefire, we will not tolerate any attempt by the enemy to seize land and expand its occupation," the group said, adding: "Our fighters remain vigilant and fully prepared." The army stated it "will not accept any targeting of Israeli civilians or its forces," and would continue operations to "remove any threat" in line with political directives.

Death toll mounts

The death toll from Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon since early Saturday has risen to at least 28, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. The strikes came after Israel's Channel 12 and a senior US official confirmed that a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah had begun at 4 pm local time on Friday. Israel's wider military offensive in Lebanon has killed at least 4,057 people, injured over 12,000 others and displaced over 1 million residents since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.