Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounces what he describes as a “scorched-earth policy” by Israel as new airstrikes hit southern Lebanon. Speaking in a televised address, Salam warns that the situation is moving toward a “dangerous” escalation and calls for “a swift and real ceasefire.”
The comments come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces have advanced deeper into Lebanon. Multiple outlets report that Israel issues evacuation warnings or orders for more than a dozen locations in the south as strikes continue.
France 24 notes that a ceasefire between Israel and Tehran-backed Hezbollah took effect on April 17 but has not been observed, framing the ongoing strikes as a breach or failure of the ceasefire arrangement. Across the reports, Salam’s central message is that collective punishment of southern Lebanon and forced displacement are intensifying, while he urges a halt to the fighting and continued movement toward security-related negotiations with Israel.
