BEIRUT, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and nine others injured in 184 Israeli airstrikes across areas north of the Litani River in Lebanon during the first half of January, Lebanese sources said Friday.

The sources told Xinhua that Israel has intensified deep strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, citing the targeting of Hezbollah infrastructure, weapons depots, and rocket-launching platforms as its reason.

Over the past 24 hours, about 26 Israeli strikes hit locations in the western Bekaa, Baalbek, Hermel, and Nabatieh regions. According to the sources, an Israeli strike on Thursday night on a car in Nabatieh's town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah killed a Hezbollah member named Walid Olleik. Hours later, another Israeli strike on Friday morning on a car near Tyre, southern Lebanon, wounded a civilian.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a Thursday statement that peacekeepers encountered an explosive device during a patrol near Adaisseh, southern Lebanon, and shortly after, a drone dropped a hand grenade near their position.

UNIFIL urged Israel to cease actions endangering peacekeepers and civilians, noting they violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, but Israel continues to have occasional strikes, claiming they aim to remove Hezbollah "threats." Israeli forces also maintain positions at five main points along the Lebanese border.