Israeli Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon Kill 9, Hezbollah Responds with Drones and Artillery

Xinhua News Agency, Beirut, May 2 (Reporter Shen Feng) According to the Lebanese National News Agency, on the afternoon of the 2nd, Israel launched airstrikes on multiple locations in southern Lebanon, resulting in at least 9 deaths and 2 injuries. The Lebanese Hezbollah retaliated against the Israeli military with drones and artillery.

Reports indicate that Israeli warplanes targeted the Nabatiyeh area, resulting in 8 deaths, including two Syrians; in different locations in the Tyre area, Israeli drones attacked two motorcycles in succession, resulting in 1 death and 1 injury, with another person in serious condition.

Hezbollah issued a statement that afternoon saying it deployed two suicide drones to attack the gathering points of Israeli soldiers in the town of Bayyada and an anti-tank missile position, claiming to have "directly hit the targets." Hezbollah also stated that it used artillery to strike an Israeli vehicle and soldier gathering point in the town of Kantarah.

At midnight local time on April 17, a temporary ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect for 10 days. On the 23rd of that month, U.S. President Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire for three weeks. However, Israel continued to launch attacks, citing violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hezbollah, and dismantled and destroyed what it called Hezbollah's "military infrastructure" in the southern regions it occupies. Data released by the Lebanese Ministry of Health on the 2nd indicated that since the resumption of hostilities on March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in 2,659 deaths and 8,183 injuries.