The Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 2,055 people and wounded a further 6,588, according to a statement by Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operation Center on Sunday.

The center noted that 35 were killed and 152 others wounded across Lebanon during the day.

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

'War continues'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement, described the Lebanese territory as a buffer zone, saying, "the war continues, including inside the security zone in Lebanon," during a visit to southern Lebanon on Sunday.

Netanyahu was accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

Their visit came ahead of peace talks with the Lebanese government, which are due to begin later on Tuesday in the United States.

Nevertheless, Katz still stated on Sunday that the military has launched a new operation, "The Silver Plough," to demolish all homes in the villages along the Israel-Lebanon border, which are repeatedly used as "terror outposts," without providing evidence.

Speaking to troops during the visit, Katz said Israeli forces would not withdraw unless Hezbollah's rocket fire toward northern Israel stops.

"We decided that we are not leaving the north anymore," he said. "We will continue this, and the goal is to disarm Hezbollah."

Netanyahu also said on Saturday that the disarmament of Hezbollah is a prerequisite for any ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.

In separate actions, Israeli warplanes launched dawn air strikes on Sunday on multiple sites, including the towns of Aaitat, Samaya, Mahrouna, Maarakeh, and Khiam's Jallahiya neighborhood, where three people were wounded and taken to Tyre's Hiram Hospital, local officials said.

UN peacekeeper incidents

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Sunday that Israeli forces rammed UNIFIL vehicles and damaged monitoring equipment in southern Lebanon, calling the incidents a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL said in a statement that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers on two occasions rammed UN vehicles with a Merkava tank, causing significant damage in one incident. The Israeli troops also blocked a road in the town of Bayada that was used to access UNIFIL positions.

Over the past week, Israeli soldiers have fired "warning shots" in the area, hitting and damaging clearly marked UNIFIL vehicles. In one incident, a shot landed roughly one meter from a peacekeeper who had exited his vehicle, according to the statement.

The statement added that Israeli forces have repeatedly denied peacekeepers freedom of movement in recent days and destroyed surveillance cameras at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura and other positions along the Blue Line.

The IDF also vandalized facilities at the headquarters by spray-painting the windows of a pedestrian access gate, thereby obstructing visibility of the external perimeter, said UNIFIL.

It added that these actions compromise the safety and security of peacekeepers and impede the mission's ability to fulfill its mandate, including reporting violations by all parties.

Lebanon calls for unity

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday that Lebanon is making efforts to halt the ongoing war and stressed the need to safeguard national unity and rebuild the state, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Salam made the remarks while commemorating the anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War on April 13, 1975.

The objective is not only to prevent a return to civil war, but also to build a just, strong and unified state for all, he said.

He highlighted the importance of fully implementing the Taif Agreement, calling for rectifying any misapplications that violate its letter and spirit.

The Taif Agreement, negotiated in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and approved later that year, ended a 15-year-long civil war in Lebanon and reasserted the Lebanese government's authority in the south.

(With input from Xinhua)