At least three people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, with additional strikes reported in the eastern part of the country as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the border area.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the airstrike on Haret Saida, a densely populated neighborhood near the city of Sidon in the south, resulted in three confirmed deaths and nine injuries.

Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed the aftermath of the strike on a multi-story building in Haret Saida, with flames visible on the top floor and extensive damage across all levels.

News agencies also reported another Israeli strike in the town of Ghaziyeh, located south of Sidon. According to AFP, the strike hit a residential building, and a child was rescued from the debris.

“Sidon has been hit several times—twice in just the past few days—signaling a possible escalation further north than Israel’s usual area of operations,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Charles Stratford, reporting from Beirut.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported additional Israeli strikes near a hospital in Tebnin, a town in the Bint Jbeil district. The local mayor stated that the hospital sustained significant damage. No evacuation warnings were issued before these strikes.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel’s military announced it was targeting Hezbollah-linked sites in Lebanon’s Baalbek region, home to the country’s largest eastern city and notable Roman ruins. At least three strikes were reported in that area.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,986 people in Lebanon since October 2023, including 18 deaths and 83 injuries in the past 24 hours alone.

‘With or Without a Deal’

During his Sunday visit to the Lebanese border, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to push Hezbollah forces back beyond the Litani River, which lies about 30 kilometers (18 miles) inside Lebanon.

“Whether or not an agreement is reached, the key to safely returning our evacuated citizens in the north is to drive Hezbollah beyond the Litani, target its attempts to rearm, and respond forcefully to any aggression,” Netanyahu stated.

In Israel, the military reported intercepting several projectiles fired from Lebanon, though some landed in uninhabited areas. On Thursday, a rocket attack from Lebanon killed seven people in the northern Israeli city of Metula—the deadliest incident on the Israeli side of the border since the conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah intensified on September 23. A week after that escalation, Israel sent ground troops into southern Lebanon.

Israel’s military says 38 of its soldiers have been killed in the Lebanon campaign since ground operations began.

Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have also joined the conflict, while Iran and Israel have directly attacked each other, raising concerns of a broader regional war.

Separately on Sunday, the Israeli military said it carried out a ground raid into Syria, capturing a Syrian citizen allegedly tied to Iranian networks. This marks the first time Israel has acknowledged sending troops into Syria during the current conflict. The Syrian government has not yet commented.

The military identified the captured individual as Ali Suleiman Al-Eatzi, a Syrian national residing in the Tsida area of southern Syria.

Meanwhile, Israel continued its assault on northern Gaza on Sunday, with at least 35 people reportedly killed across the Gaza Strip since sunrise.