Israel has intensified airstrikes across southern Lebanon, with the health ministry reporting multiple fatalities in attacks targeting vehicles along the coastal route between Beirut and Sidon, according to AFP.
The strikes reportedly occurred despite a ceasefire framework and come just ahead of a new round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, mediated by the United States.
Lebanon’s health ministry stated that three strikes on vehicles along or near the coastal highway, located roughly 20 to 30 kilometres from Beirut, killed at least eight people, including two children.
The National News Agency reported that two of the strikes hit cars directly on the Beirut–south coastal highway, a major transport route linking the capital with southern regions, while a third strike occurred nearby.
A separate fourth strike reportedly targeted a vehicle in Sidon, Lebanon’s largest southern city, located around 40 kilometres from Beirut, where the health ministry said one additional person was killed.
The latest escalation highlights continued volatility in southern Lebanon, with repeated cross-border and aerial incidents contributing to rising regional tension.
