Beirut, May 1 (QNA) - Nine people were killed and 13 others injured on Thursday evening in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said.

In a statement, the ministry reported that an airstrike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed two people and wounded 10 others. Another strike on the town of Harouf, also in the Nabatieh district, killed one woman and injured three others, including a child.

Earlier, an Israeli strike on the town of Zebdine, in the same district, had resulted in six fatalities, bringing the overall death toll to nine.

The escalation comes as Israeli forces intensified their attacks across southern Lebanon on Thursday, in violation of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 16 for an initial period of 10 days and was later extended on April 24 for an additional three weeks.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes and drones carried out more than 70 airstrikes on Thursday targeting the districts of Tyre and Bint Jbeil across the western and central sectors. The aerial bombardment coincided with artillery shelling, resulting in further casualties as well as widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, and roads. (QNA)