Lebanon's health ministry on Thursday said that 49 people had been killed and 115 had been injured in Israeli strikes on the country over the past two days, as French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is due to arrive in Beirut, and the EU calls on Israel to end its attacks on the country.
The health ministry added that the total death toll from March 2, when the US-Israeli war on Iran spread to Lebanon, to 18 March was 968 killed and 2,432 wounded.
Israel shelled the outskirts of the border towns of Chihine and Marwahin in south Lebanon on Thursday, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA).
Israel also launched airstrikes overnight on the towns of Al-Sarira, Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and Mefdoun, according to NNA and Al-Jazeera.
The Israeli army is expanding the scope of its strikes to include civilian infrastructure and vital bridges, including crossings over the Litani River, The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has reported.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has intensified its rocket attacks on northern Israel, targeting the northern town of Kiryat Shimona.
It also said on Thursday that it had launched targeted strikes focused on six Israeli Merkava tanks around the town of Taybeh in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli news Channel I24 said on Wednesday that the Israeli government had instructed the army to occupy any area in Lebanon where anti-tank missiles could be launched to end attacks indefinitely.
The continued Israeli attacks and Hezbollah operations came as the EU called for a ceasefire and Amnesty International called for Israel to stop targeting medical workers.
"The EU is deeply concerned about the ongoing Israeli offensive in Lebanon, which already has devastating humanitarian consequences and risks triggering a prolonged conflict," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Israel should cease its operations in Lebanon," she said, also blaming Hezbollah for its "decision to plunge Lebanon into this war, its refusal to hand over arms and its continuation of indiscriminate attacks against Israel".
The US-Israeli war on Iran spilt over into Lebanon after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has responded with a massive campaign of airstrikes targeting south Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut - areas where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence.
It has ordered hundreds of thousands of Lebanese to leave their homes, triggering a massive displacement crisis.
On Thursday, Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International accused Israel of carrying out repeated attacks on Lebanese medical workers and infrastructure, in a similar manner to what it did in Gaza.
"Israel is deploying the same deadly playbook it used in 2024 in Lebanon to kill dozens of health workers and devastate healthcare services. Amnesty International’s past research highlighted how the Israeli military repeatedly carried out unlawful attacks on health facilities and health workers during the 2024 escalation and we called for these to be investigated as war crimes," Beckerle said.
The Lebanese health ministry previously said that as of 16 March 2026, 40 health workers have been killed and 96 injured.
With the war showing no signs of calming down, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was due to arrive in Beirut on Thursday.
He is due to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nabih Berri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, having previously spoken to his Israeli and US counterparts.
Barrot’s visit "underlines France's support and solidarity with the Lebanese people, dragged into a war they didn't choose," the French foreign ministry said.