4 killed in Israeli strikes on south, Israel says intercepted Hezbollah rockets

Lebanon said Israeli strikes killed four people in the country's south on Tuesday as Israel said it intercepted Hezbollah rockets and launched raids, despite a U.S.-Iran deal that includes Lebanon.

Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli drone strikes targeted two vehicles in the town of Mayfadoun and another in nearby Shukeen, both in the Nabatieh area, "leading to an initial toll of four dead" and others wounded.

The Israeli military said it conducted a strike in south Lebanon after it "identified a suspicious vehicle" where its soldiers were operating, without specifying where.

It also said its forces intercepted several rockets fired at Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon, following which the air force "struck and dismantled" a launcher.

Hezbollah has so far not issued any statements on Tuesday claiming attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon.

While violence declined in Lebanon after the U.S.-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war was announced on Monday, Israeli strikes on the south have now killed at least five people since, according to the NNA.

The reduction in violence has allowed some south Lebanon residents to return and inspect their towns and villages, but the Lebanese army has urged locals to delay their return, citing "the risk of Israeli violations and attacks".

Lebanon's health ministry on Tuesday raised the death toll in Israeli attacks since March 2 to 3,826, as rescuers pull bodies from the rubble.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with a massive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that an end to the conflict would be incomplete "without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories it occupied in this war".

"Any military attack by the Zionist regime on Lebanon from now on and the continued occupation of Lebanese territories from now on will be considered a violation of the memorandum of understanding in our view," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the country's forces would remain in Lebanon "for as long as necessary".