ISTANBUL / Anadolu

Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported Thursday that the number of victims of Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory since March 2 has reached 4,329 killed and 12,233 injured.

This announcement comes amid the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah since October 2023, which has resulted in thousands of casualties and extensive damage to Lebanese infrastructure.

The ministry's Health Emergency Operations Center clarified in a statement that the cumulative toll as of July 23 has reached "4,329 martyrs and 12,233 wounded."

The ministry had announced Wednesday that the death toll was 4,328 and wounded 12,232, an increase of one killed and one wounded.

The ministry did not provide details on whether the killed and wounded were recorded in the last 24 hours or added after verification was completed.

On Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon to inspect it a day after the start of the deployment of Lebanese army units there as part of the first phase of implementing the "framework agreement."

Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is located south of the Litani River and is among the pilot areas covered by the first phase of the agreement signed on June 26.

The agreement stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, starting with a pilot model in experimental areas, with the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw, along with the disarmament of armed groups, in reference to Hezbollah.

On Monday, the US State Department announced the start of operations in the pilot area in the villages of Froun, Sarifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, according to the tripartite framework and under the auspices of the Special Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the confrontations between 2023 and 2024, and it has advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during the current aggression.

These rising numbers coincided with steps to implement the framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel last June, which stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal in exchange for the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in agreed-upon areas, in addition to the disarmament of armed groups. This process indicates an international attempt to achieve stability in southern Lebanon, despite ongoing border tensions. These developments are expected to affect the course of political and security negotiations between the two sides, especially amid international pressure to de-escalate and protect civilians.