Thirteen people, including four women and a child, have been killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said. The attacks occurred in multiple locations across southern Lebanon, including Haboush in the Nabatieh district, where two women and a child were among eight killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had issued an evacuation order for the area before the strikes.

In Zrarieh, part of the Sidon district, four people—including two women—were killed, while another individual died in Ain Baal in the Tyre district. In total, 32 people were injured in the attacks on Friday. The casualties highlight the continued violence in the region, despite a three-week extension of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

Ceasefire Extension and Ongoing Tensions

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued despite the ongoing ceasefire. On Saturday, the Iran-backed group Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed the death of one of its soldiers during combat in southern Lebanon on Thursday, bringing the total number of Israeli troop deaths since early March to 17.

The initial 10-day pause in hostilities was announced on April 16 following ambassador talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon. The two countries have no diplomatic relations, and the meeting in Washington was the first high-level set of talks between them since 1993. A three-week extension to the ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump on April 23, who said the second meeting between the two countries “went very well.” Trump also stated the US would be working with Lebanon to help it protect itself from Hezbollah.

Lebanese and Israeli Casualties

Since early March, 2,586 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. This includes 103 health care workers and emergency responders. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its reporting. Along with 17 Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon, two civilians have been killed by Hezbollah attacks in Israel.

On Friday, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun met with the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michael Issa. Issa reaffirmed the US’s continued support for Lebanon. The US embassy in Beirut had previously suggested that a meeting between Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could provide Lebanon with “concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory.” The post added that these guarantees would be “guaranteed by the US.”

Recent Escalation and Military Actions

On Saturday morning, the IDF reported “around 50 strikes in the last day” on southern Lebanon. The targets included Hezbollah headquarters and buildings used for military purposes. A previous update stated that the IDF had intercepted two “aerial targets” before they could cross into Israeli territory.

The current conflict follows an earlier ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024. After that agreement, Israel carried out near-daily attacks on targets and individuals it claimed were linked to Hezbollah. The situation escalated further after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and killed Iran’s supreme leader. In response, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel on March 2. Israel responded with air strikes and re-entered southern Lebanon in early March, where it has destroyed villages and occupied 10 kilometers of Lebanese territory.