Israel strikes several parts of south Lebanon, says targeted Hezbollah

Israel carried out strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday, its military saying it hit dozens of Hezbollah targets.

The attacks have become a regular occurrence, despite a fragile ceasefire in the Israel–Hezbollah war that has seen both sides accuse each other of violations.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah targets, adding that "approximately 70 military structures and approximately 50 Hezbollah infrastructure sites were dismantled across several areas" on Saturday.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) also reported a series of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon with several killed, including three in the town of Sammaiyeh in the Tyre district.

The Israeli army had earlier issued two evacuation warnings for nine southern villages.

Hezbollah claimed several attacks targeting Israeli troops, saying they were in response to ceasefire "violations".

Israel has kept up deadly strikes on Lebanon despite the 17 April ceasefire that sought to halt more than six weeks of war between it and Hezbollah.

The ceasefire text grants Israel the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks".

Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal on Saturday met with visiting US General Joseph Clearfield, the head of a five-member committee in charge of monitoring a 2024 ceasefire meant to put an end to the last war between Israel and Hezbollah.

They discussed "the security situation in Lebanon, regional developments, and ways to maximise the effectiveness of the (committee) and enhance its operations", said a Lebanese army statement.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,600 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million since Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war on 2 March in support of its backer Iran.