Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated on Monday that Israel has conducted approximately 3,500 air strikes and hundreds of controlled demolitions in Lebanon since a United States-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 16.
The US-mediated ceasefire began on April 17, with Israeli forces maintaining positions deep within southern Lebanon. While largely effective in halting air assaults on Beirut and its surrounding areas, the truce has not suppressed ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
According to statements released by Prime Minister Salam's office on the social media platform X, from April 17 to June 7, Israel carried out 3,491 air strikes, 407 controlled demolitions, and six extensive razing operations. These actions have resulted in the complete destruction of some villages in the southernmost region of Lebanon.
The Israeli military has not yet provided a comment regarding these assertions. Prime Minister Salam indicated that Lebanon is committed to upholding the ceasefire, but acknowledged that recent escalations between Iran and Israel have led to further displacement, exacerbating Lebanon's capacity to accommodate fleeing families.
The conflict, which began on March 2, has already resulted in the displacement of over one million individuals, representing one-fifth of Lebanon's population, due to Israeli strikes and evacuation directives across the country. The current hostilities were triggered when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in solidarity with Iran, which was itself under attack by Israel and the United States.
Hezbollah has continued its rocket fire towards Israel and has reportedly rejected US-mediated discussions between Lebanese and Israeli officials aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire into a permanent agreement. On Sunday, Israeli forces struck Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs in response to Hezbollah shelling in northern Israel. This exchange was followed by Iranian retaliatory strikes on northern Israel and subsequent Israeli counter-fire targeting various locations within Iran.
