BEIRUT/JERUSALEM- At least six people were killed and 28 others injured in fresh Israeli airstrikes targeting eastern and southern Lebanon on Saturday evening, according to Lebanon's health authorities.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike targeted the city of Tyre, as well as several valleys and villages, killing six people and injuring 22, said Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center, adding the attacks in eastern Lebanon injured six.

A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that Israel has carried out 15 airstrikes so far on Saturday evening.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli airstrikes, accusing Israel of violating a ceasefire agreement and risking broader conflict, according to a statement from Lebanon's presidency.

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Aoun called the strikes "a continued assault on Lebanon" and warned they represented attempts to "drag Lebanon into the cycle of violence once again."

He urged Lebanese authorities, including the military and a five-member committee overseeing the US- and French-mediated 2024 truce between Israel and Hezbollah, to address the escalation with "the utmost seriousness" to prevent further repercussions.

The president directed army commander Rodolphe Haikal to protect civilians and investigate the strikes while appealing for restraint to safeguard Lebanon's "national interests."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force launched a second wave of strikes against what it claimed Hezbollah command centers, infrastructure sites, militants, rocket launchers, and a weapons storage facility across Lebanon.

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It said it will "continue to strike as required to protect Israeli civilians."

Shortly before, a statement from the Israeli Defense Minister's Office said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the IDF to launch a second wave of strikes against dozens of "Hezbollah targets" in Lebanon in response to the rockets fired into northern Israel on Saturday morning.

"The Lebanese government is responsible for everything that happens on its territory," the statement said. "Israel will not allow any harm to its citizens and sovereignty, and will act in every way to ensure the security of Israeli citizens and northern communities."

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said it intercepted rockets launched from Lebanon toward the northern Israeli town of Metula. No casualties were reported in Israel, according to the country's emergency services.

The first wave of Israeli attacks came on Saturday afternoon, hitting areas near the villages of Touline, Kfar Melki, Mleeta, and the Wadi al-Hujeir valley in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's state-owned National News Agency (NNA) reported, adding that a residential building in Touline was destroyed, leaving one dead and three wounded.

In a statement issued after the strikes, the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon.

The exchange occurred amid lingering friction over a US- and French-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which took effect on Nov 27, 2023, halting over a year of hostilities linked to the Gaza conflict.

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The truce stipulated an Israeli withdrawal from disputed Lebanese territory, but Israeli forces continue to occupy five border posts well past a Feb 18 deadline, Lebanese officials say.

Meanwhile, France on Saturday expressed deep concern over the renewed tensions in southern Lebanon, condemned the rocket fire into Israel from Lebanese territory, and called on Israel to exercise restraint following its retaliatory strikes.

In a foreign ministry statement, France urged all parties to uphold the commitments made under the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, to avoid an escalation that could have serious consequences for the security of Lebanon, Israel, and the wider region.

The statement also urged to preserve the significant progress achieved in recent months to ensure the safety of both Israelis and Lebanese on either side of the Blue Line.

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The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also voiced alarm over the violence.

"We strongly urge all parties to refrain from actions that could jeopardize the fragile stability," spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said, warning that further escalation could have "severe consequences." UNIFIL said peacekeepers were maintaining patrols to de-escalate tensions.