21 killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT (ANTARA) - Lebanon’s official news agency, the National News Agency (NNA), reported at least 21 people killed and several others injured following intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday (23/5) evening until Sunday (24/5).

The NNA reported a ‘massacre’ in Sir al-Gharbiyeh town in the Nabatieh district, where nine people, including a child and several women, were killed. In the same district, Israeli drone strikes killed seven others in Nabatieh city and the areas of Nmairiyeh and Arab Salim.

Separately, in the Tyre district, Israeli attacks killed a total of five people, according to the NNA.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah stated that its forces launched a series of rocket attacks targeting Israeli military vehicles near the town of Bayada in southern Lebanon.

Earlier on the same day, the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, stated that attempts to disarm Hezbollah would lead to the group’s ‘annihilation’ and the gradual occupation of Lebanon, vowing that Hezbollah would continue to fight Israel.

Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre stated that the cumulative casualties from Israeli attacks between 2 March and 24 May have reached 3,151 deaths and 9,571 injuries.

The attacks occurred amid ongoing Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire being announced last month.