Israel strikes Lebanon despite ceasefire; death toll rises to 3,526

Israeli strikes continued across Lebanon on Thursday despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced earlier between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington, DC, further deepening regional tensions and raising doubts over any near-term de-escalation.

Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 3,526 people have been killed and 10,733 injured since 2 March, as Israeli operations persist across multiple areas of the country.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the ceasefire, calling it a “farce”, and warned that northern Israel would remain a target as long as strikes on Lebanon continue.

The regional volatility has also drawn sharp international reactions. India condemned the attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon that killed a Serbian soldier serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stressing the “sanctity and inviolability” of UN personnel and premises.

UN secretary-general António Guterres warned the incident could amount to a war crime, while his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic was killed when a mortar struck a UN position near Marji’yun. Two other peacekeepers were injured and are being treated at a UNIFIL facility in south Lebanon.

UNIFIL has launched an investigation and reported a rising number of strikes and impacts in southern Lebanon, calling for an immediate end to the violence. It reiterated that attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law.

Separately, Hezbollah — backed by Iran — has intensified its attacks on Israel following Israeli strikes on Iran, which were later met with US involvement and retaliatory escalation.

Nearly 1,000 Indian personnel are part of the 10,800-strong UNIFIL contingent operating in the region.

With agency inputs