Beirut: Two people were killed Saturday in Israeli drone attacks in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire that has officially been in place since late 2024, according to local media.
According to Anadolu Agency, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported that an Israeli drone carried out an airstrike targeting a vehicle on the Wadi Nahla Road between the towns of Shaqra and Majdal Selm in the Marjayoun district, resulting in one fatality. Additionally, Israeli warplanes launched another airstrike on a forested area between Rashaya al-Fukhar and Kafr Hamam in the Hasbaya district, though the agency did not specify any casualties.
In a separate incident, another person was killed when an Israeli drone executed two strikes on a vehicle traveling along the Zawtar El Charqiyeh road in the Ain Al-Samahiya area of the Nabatieh district. The NNA also noted that Israeli warplanes targeted an area between al-Mahmoudiyah, al-Ayshiyah, and al-Jarmak on the eastern edge of the Kafr Rumman plain in southern Lebanon, without reporting any casualties.
The news agency reported that an Israeli aircraft fired two air-to-ground missiles at the targeted area. Moreover, Israeli warplanes conducted two strikes on the outskirts of Shmistar, west of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, but provided no further details.
According to the same source, Israeli fighter jets executed additional airstrikes on the al-Jabal al-Rafi' area toward Arabsalim in the Nabatieh district. NNA also reported heightened Israeli drone activity over towns in the Nabatieh area at medium altitude.
The Israeli army claimed that its attacks focused on two Hezbollah military sites and several launchers in southern Lebanon. However, there was no comment from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities regarding the Israeli attacks.
These strikes occurred a day after another person was killed in an Israeli air attack on the Froun area in the Bint Jbeil district. Tensions in southern Lebanon have been escalating for weeks, with the Israeli military intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, asserting that they target Hezbollah members and infrastructure.
The Israeli army has been responsible for the deaths of more than 4,000 people and injuries to nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which initiated in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale offensive in September 2024. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry on Friday, 331 people have been killed and 945 injured by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. The UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) also reported over 10,000 Israeli air and ground violations.
Under the ceasefire, the Israeli army was expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.