An Israeli air strike on a town in southern Lebanon has killed six people, including three paramedics, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The health ministry also reported that a fourth paramedic has sustained critical injuries after a civil defense center was attacked in the town of Harouf. The BBC has reached out to the Israeli military for a comment on the incident.
These developments come as the US announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend their fragile ceasefire for an additional 45 days. This truce, initially called by US President Donald Trump on April 16, has been marred by continued exchanges of fire between the two parties.
Lebanon's health ministry reported that previous Israeli air strikes had resulted in 22 deaths, including eight children, in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. During a media briefing, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott expressed hope that these negotiations would foster lasting peace, respect for sovereignty, and security along the shared border.
The US plans to reconvene the political negotiations in June, with a simultaneous security track launch scheduled for May 29 involving military delegations from both nations. Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, described the talks as straightforward and constructive.
In contrast, Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam mentioned the need to gather support from Arab and international partners to strengthen their negotiating position against Israel.
Since the conflict escalated in early March, there have been almost daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah across the Lebanese southern border. Reports indicate that Israeli air and artillery strikes have intensified, targeting what is claimed to be Hezbollah infrastructure, though the Lebanese health ministry has accused Israel of intentionally targeting civilians, a claim that Israel has denied.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in heavy casualties, with Lebanon reporting at least 2,896 deaths since the onset of hostilities, while Israeli reports account for 18 soldiers and four civilian deaths.
Amidst the turmoil, southern Lebanon, a stronghold for Hezbollah, continues to suffer under airstrikes, leading to the displacement of over one million people from their homes across the nation.
