Lebanon Death Toll Tops 2,600 as Israel Violates Ceasefire

(MENAFN) Lebanon's Health Ministry reported Friday that Israeli strikes since March 2 have claimed 2,618 lives and wounded 8,094 others — with 32 additional deaths and 74 injuries recorded in the preceding 24 hours alone.

In an official statement, the ministry confirmed the rising casualty figures amid what observers describe as an unrelenting campaign of aerial bombardment across Lebanese territory.

The offensive was triggered after Hezbollah launched retaliatory strikes tied to the broader Iran conflict, prompting Israel to escalate military operations that have since uprooted more than one million Lebanese civilians from their homes.

Despite a 10-day ceasefire that took effect on April 17 — subsequently extended through May 17 — Israel has continued daily violations of the truce, carrying out airstrikes and systematically demolishing residential structures, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israel further maintains what it calls a "buffer zone" across southern Lebanon, asserting the measure is designed to neutralize the threat of future Hezbollah incursions. The current escalation follows an earlier truce brokered in November 2024 that ultimately failed to hold.

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