4 killed, 3 others injured as Israel strikes southern Lebanon
An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed at least four people and injured three others, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said on Saturday, in an attack that further strained a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah that has lasted nearly a year.
File image source: Reuters
An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed at least four people and injured three others, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said on Saturday, in an attack that further strained a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah that has lasted nearly a year. According to Al Jazeera, the Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed that the attack targeted the town of Kfarsir in the Nabatieh region; Initial reports indicate that the “guided missile” hit a car around 14:15 (16:15 GMT).
The state-run Lebanese News Agency reported that the incident caused significant damage in the area and prompted emergency crews to rush to the scene. The strike came a day after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of stepping up attacks in response to an offer to negotiate a more permanent end to cross-border conflict. The ongoing conflict dates back to 2023, when Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. A ceasefire was eventually reached by US President Donald Trump in November 2024, but tensions continued despite the ceasefire.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli troops maintain a presence in at least five areas of southern Lebanon and maintain almost daily air strikes, often targeting what it calls Hezbollah areas. However, civilians, journalists and first responders were among those killed in the attacks. Israeli forces have killed at least 111 civilians in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect, according to the United Nations.
President Aoun said last month that the aim of proposed talks with Israel was to “end the Israeli occupation” and reiterated Lebanon’s willingness to achieve peace through negotiations. Israel, on the other hand, accused Lebanon of failing to fulfill its ceasefire obligations by not restraining or disarming Hezbollah.
However, the armed group rejected all external pressure to lay down its arms. In another escalation earlier this week, President Aoun instructed the Lebanese armed forces to counter any new Israeli offensive towards the south, Al Jazeera reported. According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the order followed an Israeli raid on the border town of Blida, in which soldiers stormed the town hall and killed municipal worker Ibrahim Salameh, who was sleeping inside. The Israeli military claimed that the operation was aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure and that soldiers opened fire in response to an “immediate threat”. But he did not provide any evidence or further details about the murder.
Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI.
