9 killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon despite new ceasefire deal

At least nine people were killed and dozens of others injured on Thursday in Israeli strikes targeting southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, Lebanon's National News Agency reported, said Xinhua.

Among the casualties were Syrian and Bangladeshi nationals, it reported.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched waves of drone attacks on Israeli troops and military vehicles stationed in Lebanese border towns and villages.

Also on Thursday, the Israeli army completed its withdrawal from the Lebanese town of Dibbine, part of the eastern sector of the southern border region, and repositioned itself in the nearby town of Khiam, while Lebanese army units entered Dibbine and began clearing roads, according to Lebanese sources.

The developments came despite Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to implement a ceasefire after trilateral negotiations in Washington. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah members from areas south of the Litani River.

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said resistance against Israel will continue and Israeli settlements will remain unsafe as long as Israeli occupation and attacks on Lebanese territory persist.

Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center said Thursday that Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 3,526 people and injured 10,733 others.

Meanwhile, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) armoured officer was killed on Thursday in southern Lebanon by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah, the IDF said in a statement.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the officer was killed after a Hezbollah militant fired the drone at a tank of Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon, north of the Litani River.

The latest incident brings the death toll among Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon to four in recent days, following Hezbollah drone strikes.

Earlier in the day, Lebanon's National News Agency reported that at least nine people were killed and dozens of others injured in Israeli strikes targeting southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country.

Also on Thursday, Lebanese sources said that the Israeli military completed its withdrawal from the southern Lebanese town of Dibbine and redeployed to nearby Khiam. Units of the Lebanese army subsequently entered Dibbine and began clearing roads.

The developments came despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing on Wednesday to implement a ceasefire following trilateral negotiations in Washington.

1 UN peacekeeper killed, 2 injured in southeastern Lebanon

A peacekeeper died early Thursday from injuries sustained when mortar shells struck his position near Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon the previous night, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said.

Two other peacekeepers were injured in the incident and are receiving treatment at a medical facility inside a UNIFIL base, a UNIFIL statement said.

The mission said the critically injured peacekeeper was airlifted to a hospital in Beirut shortly after the attack but later succumbed to his wounds.

UNIFIL said it had launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The mission also reported a growing number of projectile trajectories and impacts across southern Lebanon, warning of increasing violence in the area.

UNIFIL urged all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and ensure the safety and security of United Nations personnel and facilities. It also called on Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident, hold those responsible accountable and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The peacekeeping force noted that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes.

Established in 1978, UNIFIL monitors the cessation of hostilities and supports stability along Lebanon's southern border.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that the death of a United Nations peacekeeper in Lebanon overnight was caused by mortar shells fired from Hezbollah that hit a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) position.

The IDF said that it identified several launches from Hezbollah in the Al-Qatrani area that landed inside the UNIFIL position in the southern Lebanese village.

It claimed that launch trajectory analysis clearly indicates that Hezbollah was responsible.

"Hezbollah's launches endanger international forces and also harm UN personnel operating in the area," the statement read.

The IDF attached a graphic to the statement, allegedly showing the source of the fire and the shells' 6-km trajectory.