Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon, but rather ongoing Israeli American aggression,” as the Iran-backed group trades fire with Israeli forces despite the shaky ceasefire.
“There is no such thing as a yellow line or buffer zone, and there will not be,” Qassem said in a statement, adding that the group “will inevitably succeed.”
The Hezbollah leader’s statement comes amid a fresh evacuation order Monday by the Israeli military of four villages in southern Lebanon, saying it is “in light of Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
At least one person was killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on Arab Salim, in the Nabatieh District, southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, where the Israeli military had issued evacuation warnings. Three others were wounded, including one child, NNA said, citing the ministry of health.
Separately, five people were injured in Israeli strikes on the southern town of Srifa in Tyre District, NNA reported, adding that these included four paramedics.
Israeli strikes have so far killed 2,679 people, the health ministry said Sunday, with 8,229 others injured.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday that it has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas across southern Lebanon, saying that it had been conducting operations against “armed Hezbollah terrorists who were operating in close proximity to the troops.”
Hezbollah has also been ramping up its attacks on Israeli forces, claiming 11 attacks on Sunday – the highest number of retaliatory strikes since the ceasefire began, according to a CNN tally.
Sarah Tamimi contributed reporting.
