BEIRUT, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Health Ministry said Saturday that Israeli strikes during the latest round of fighting have killed 2,020 people and wounded 6,436 others since hostilities escalated.

A Lebanese man is pictured near buildings destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Haret Saida, southern Lebanon, on March 4, 2026. (File photo: Xinhua)

The ministry said the toll reflects cumulative casualties recorded across multiple regions amid continued Israeli airstrikes and cross-border exchanges.

The escalation followed renewed hostilities involving Hezbollah, which said it launched rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024. The exchange prompted Israel to expand its military campaign across Lebanon.

Lebanon has since been hit by sustained strikes in several areas, with fighting spreading beyond border regions into other parts of the country.

Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan.