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Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, Lebanon’s Civil Defense said, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah began, which Israel says was responding to gunfire fired by the Iran-backed group.
Lebanon’s NNA news agency said Israeli warplanes and drones attacked several areas in the south and the Bekaa Valley.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 bombs at its forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting strikes from what the official said were Hezbollah forces.
The Israeli army, which has been deployed in southern Lebanon, said in a statement that Hezbollah’s attack was a repeated violation of the ceasefire agreement.
It said it remains committed to making a deal in accordance with political guidelines and will respond firmly to any attack on Israeli civilians or soldiers.
Hezbollah also said it remains committed to a ceasefire but will respond to any attempt by Israel to “take territory or expand its territory.”
Israel and Hezbollah agreed on Friday to a cease-fire amid new hostilities that threaten an emerging deal between Iran and the United States to end their conflict in the Middle East.
The group said Israeli forces tried overnight to enter the Ali al-Taher mountain area in southern Lebanon. It said its soldiers were cooperating, after which Israel attacked inside and outside the area it was declared to be operating.
A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in what it calls Lebanese territory, adding that resistance remains legitimate while Israeli troops remain in Lebanon.
The violence highlights the weakness of a deal aimed at ending months of heightened violence, as well as an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that hinges in part on ending the conflict in Lebanon.
One of the deadliest attacks in Israel hit a three-story building south of the town of Barish in the Tire region, killing a father, a mother and their two children, a local official told Reuters.
The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike killed a soldier on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road and accused Israel of undermining efforts to restore stability.
The spokesperson of the Arabic-speaking forces in Israel said that calm can be achieved if Hezbollah stops what he described as hostile actions and violations of agreements, adding that Israel’s presence in the security area is aimed at removing threats and destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure, without harming civilians.
A ceasefire was agreed on Friday after the violence escalated. A US official said it would go into effect at 4pm local time that day, while a senior Israeli official and two Hezbollah sources confirmed the deal.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health says 3,912 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including health workers, women and children. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in recent incidents.
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding announced this week calls for an immediate, permanent end to military operations by groups and their allies in several sectors, including Lebanon. Israel, which was not part of those talks, opposes the terms, which it says could hamper its campaign in Lebanon.
