Amid uncertainty over ceasefire, 4 people die in attack in Lebanon

Israeli attacks killed four people in southern Lebanon this Friday (5), according to the Lebanese state news agency NNA.

The attacks, which took place in the cities of Nabatiyeh and Bint Jbeil, took place despite the US-mediated ceasefire agreement signed between the Israeli and Lebanese governments on Wednesday (3).

The pause in the conflict is conditional on "the complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives" from an area of Lebanon south of the Litani River, according to a US State Department document detailing the terms of the deal.

But Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the truce, demanding a comprehensive ceasefire and Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanon.

As Israeli attacks and Hezbollah rocket fire continued, the Israeli Armed Forces warned residents of several villages north of the Litani River to leave the region, as well as those in the coastal cities of Sarafand and Saksakiyeh.

In a statement on

The NNA reported a "mass displacement" of people after the order was issued.

War breeds food insecurity
The International Rescue Committee said on Wednesday that some 1.24 million people across Lebanon are expected to face acute food insecurity this year, "with conditions expected to be particularly severe in the south and worsen with each new evacuation order issued."

Despite Hezbollah's rejection of the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (4) that "progress has been made" in ending the fighting in Lebanon.

Hezbollah "called us and said, 'How about we stop?'" Trump declared.

The president also stated that he had discussed the matter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with members of Hezbollah.

Understand what Hezbollah is and how the Lebanese group came about

Source: CNN