Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least 18 people and injured 33 others, Lebanese health officials said, after the Israeli military said that four of its soldiers were killed in an attack.
The spurt of violence added to the pressure on the preliminary agreement between Iran and the United States, which calls for fighting to stop on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Israeli leaders have suggested that they are not bound by the U.S.-Iran deal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that Israeli forces would not soon withdraw from Lebanon, where they have been clashing with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia despite a nominal truce.
The attack on Israeli troops was one of the single deadliest known strikes on Israeli forces since the latest fighting began in early March. Four soldiers were killed after their tank was hit near the town of Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, according to a statement by the Israeli military.
In a series of statements on Friday, Hezbollah said its fighters had ambushed Israeli troops attempting to advance near Ali al-Taher heights, a strategic point in southern Lebanon. The group said it had fired rockets and mortar shells at Israeli forces and destroyed three Merkava tanks with guided missiles.
After the attack that killed its soldiers, the Israeli military said that it had launched strikes targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure, accusing the group of “repeated and continuous violations of the cease-fire.” It also said it had struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s northern Bekaa Valley on Friday morning.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that casualties had been reported in at least 11 towns across southern Lebanon after what it described as intense Israeli strikes from midnight into Friday morning. The ministry said that the bombardment had hindered efforts to recover the dead and evacuate the wounded.
On Thursday, Israel released a map outlining what it called an expanded military zone of control in southern Lebanon and said that its military operations might not be confined to it. Israeli forces have pushed deeper into southern Lebanon in recent weeks and are now more than six miles inside Lebanese territory in some areas, dashing hopes that thousands of people displaced by the fighting could soon return to their homes.
Lebanon has increasingly become a focal point in the broader regional conflict involving Israel, Iran and Hezbollah. Clashes have continued despite U.S.-backed efforts at de-escalation, including the memorandum of understanding announced this week with Iran, which called for an end to hostilities on all fronts and urged respect for Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Adam Rasgon contributed reporting.
