Israeli airstrike in eastern Lebanon kills 2, injures 10 in further violation of ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on Bekaa, eastern Lebanon, killed two people and injured 10 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Friday.

"At approximately 3 am (0100GMT) on Friday, Israeli enemy warplanes carried out an airstrike on the Eastern Mountain Range in the Bekaa region," Lebanon's National News Agency also reported.

It added that the airstrike on the town of Janta, in the Bekaa Valley, "resulted in two martyrs and 10 individuals wounded."

On Thursday, the Israeli army committed 15 more violations of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.

The latest breaches bring the total number of violations since the agreement came into force in late November to 823, according to statistics compiled by Anadolu based on announcements from Lebanon's National News Agency.

Tensions have escalated as the Israeli army remained after a 60-day deadline for its withdrawal from southern Lebanon that passed Sunday under the ceasefire agreement.

The US, however, said that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to an extension of the deadline until Feb. 18.

The fragile ceasefire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023 and escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.

Since Israel's onslaught on Lebanon began in 2023, at least 4,080 people have been killed, including women, children, and health workers, while over 16,700 have been injured, according to Lebanese Health Ministry data.