Israeli warplanes, drones and artillery struck towns across southern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanese media reported, as President Joseph Aoun called for the attacks to end so displaced residents can return to their villages safely.

Airstrikes hit Kafr Tebnit in the Nabatieh district twice, in the morning and again in the evening, according to the state-run National News Agency. There was no consolidated toll for Monday's strikes.

Morning strikes on Kafr Tebnit and Qantara

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Monday morning on the southern Lebanese towns of Kafr Tebnit and Qantara, the Jordan News Agency Petra reported from Beirut, citing a Lebanese security source. Artillery fire hit Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, Wadi al-Slouki and Qabrikha.

The same source said Israeli drones were flying at very low altitudes over Beirut's southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon, and that the Israeli army was conducting extensive sweeps with machine-gun fire in the southern town of Khiam.

An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade towards farmers picking olives on the outskirts of Deir Mimas in the south, the source said. An Israeli patrol also stopped and harassed residents arriving in Kfarchouba, in the Hasbaya district, despite prior coordination with the Lebanese army and the ceasefire monitoring committee to allow them to harvest their olives.

Shelling continued into the night

The strikes were not limited to the morning. Lebanese media reported shelling continuing into the night, with warplanes, drones and artillery hitting towns across the south through the day. Kafr Tebnit was struck twice, in the morning and again in the evening.

The renewed bombardment comes amid a fragile United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect on 17 April and was aimed at halting the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel's military. Despite the truce, Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon have continued, and Israel has stationed troops south of the Litani River and occupies a zone covering roughly a tenth of Lebanon's territory.

Aoun: let residents return home

President Aoun met the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation, Agnes Dhur, at the presidential palace in Baabda on Monday. He said protecting civilians and meeting their basic needs were a priority, especially in the south, and called for an end to Israeli attacks so residents could return safely to their villages.

"International humanitarian law must be respected and Israel must end its attacks and provide the conditions for Lebanese residents to return to home safely to resume their lives," Aoun said.

He also stressed the importance of the continued presence of international humanitarian organisations in Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon remain displaced after Israel's ground invasion in March and the subsequent occupation and demolition of homes in the south.

Lebanon's Health Ministry says 4,390 people were killed and 12,429 wounded in Israeli attacks between 2 March and 5 November. The ministry has previously said the total death toll since the war with Hezbollah escalated on 2 March stands in the thousands, with thousands more injured.

What happens next

There was no immediate statement from the Israeli military on Monday's strikes. Lebanon and Israel have agreed to US-mediated talks in Washington, but Aoun has said Israel should fully implement the ceasefire before negotiations can take place. For residents of the south, the immediate question is whether the bombardment eases enough for them to return to villages that, in many cases, have been heavily damaged or destroyed.