Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed on Sunday that five people were killed and 28 wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb, marking one of the most serious escalations since last year’s ceasefire.

According to the ministry’s emergency operations center, the attack targeted the fourth and fifth floors of a residential building on al-Areed Street in Haret Hreik, a densely populated neighborhood in the capital’s southern suburbs. The Israeli military claimed it was targeting a “prominent” Hezbollah commander, though the strike hit a civilian area.

Lebanese officials said the assault was part of a pattern of continued violations, noting that more than 5,000 Israeli breaches of the ceasefire have been recorded since the agreement took effect.

President Joseph Aoun condemned the airstrike as “further proof that Israel pays no attention to repeated calls to halt its aggression,” accusing Tel Aviv of rejecting international resolutions aimed at preventing regional escalation.

“Lebanon has adhered to the cessation of hostilities for nearly a year,” Aoun said, urging the international community to intervene “forcefully and seriously” to stop Israeli attacks and prevent further deterioration.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also issued a statement calling for unity and coordinated efforts behind the state, stressing that protecting civilians and preventing Lebanon from “sliding into dangerous territory” was the government’s top priority.

Salam said Lebanon is working with “brotherly and friendly nations” to halt Israeli aggression, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, and secure the release of Lebanese prisoners. He reiterated that long-term stability can only be achieved through the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

Separate Israeli attacks were reported elsewhere in southern Lebanon on the same day. A drone strike on a vehicle in the town of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district killed one civilian, local sources said.

In another incident, an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft dropped a bomb near a historic spring in the town of Odaisseh.

Lebanese officials warn that the series of attacks risks further inflaming tensions along the border and undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a wider conflict. (ILKHA)