Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 13 in Lebanon on Saturday, while pounding Hezbollah targets across the battered country.
The attacks killed four people near Beirut, as fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and the terror group continues to intensify amid a failing cease-fire, PBS news reported.
Over 85 Hezbollah targets were hit by Israeli strikes over the weekend, including rocket launchers, weapons depots, underground weapons manufacturing facilities and buildings used by the Iranian proxy, the IDF announced early Saturday.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah has continued to rage despite a pause in fighting announced by President Trump on April 16.
The pause does not preclude Israel from defensive strikes against Hezbollah, but halted the IDF’s forward momentum beyond the buffer zone established south of the Litani River.
Israel struck 85 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the weekend. AFP via Getty Images Three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, by explosive drones launched by Hezbollah, some of which breached Israeli territory later Saturday.
The terrorist group launched rockets that fell near Israeli troops in Southern Lebanon but did not cause any casualties, according to the IDF.
In response, Israel called for civilians from numerous villages in Southern Lebanon to evacuate Saturday morning and launched a wave of retaliatory strikes.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” Israeli army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee announced.
Fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group has intensified. X/idfonline Fighting between the Jewish state and the Iran-backed group has heated up in recent days, jeopardizing the temporary truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had killed the head of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in a strike on Beirut Thursday.
“He likely read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. Well, he read it and it is no longer the case,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israel had refrained from firing on Hezbollah targets for weeks prior to the Thursday attack.
As fighting in the region continues to escalate, the US is poised to host the third round of Israeli-Lebanon peace talks beginning on Thursday in Washington, DC.
Diplomatic representatives from the two countries are set to be joined, for the first time, by military representatives, The Times of Israel reported.
The two sides are expected to discuss a framework for an Israel-Lebanon peace deal, which would include the withdrawal of IDF troops from Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah.
