Israeli drone strikes kill two in south Lebanon

Tensions flared again along the Lebanon-Israel border on Wednesday, as Israeli drone and airstrikes killed at least two individuals in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, one person died when a drone targeted a vehicle in Wadi al-Hujair, approximately 12 kilometers from the Israeli border. A separate strike in the town of Hanin also claimed one life and injured another.

The Israeli military confirmed that its air force had eliminated a Hezbollah fighter from the elite Radwan Force in the Qantara region near Wadi al-Hujair. These incidents add to a series of attacks that have continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached in late November 2023.

Rising Casualties and UN Concerns

In addition, a 17-year-old injured in an earlier Israeli strike on Aitaroun succumbed to his wounds, raising the toll from that specific incident to two fatalities. Israel claimed the strike had also targeted and killed another Hezbollah operative.

The United Nations Human Rights Office recently reported that at least 71 civilians in Lebanon have died due to Israeli military actions since the truce took effect. Hezbollah representative Hassan Fadlallah last week cited a total of 186 deaths since the ceasefire, though he did not clarify how many were fighters.

The Lebanese health ministry has not provided updated figures in response to requests from international media.

Truce Terms and Military Positions

The ceasefire deal, grounded in a United Nations Security Council resolution, mandates that only Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers operate in southern Lebanon. It also calls for the removal of all weapons held by non-state actors in the region.

Under this agreement, Hezbollah was expected to retreat north of the Litani River and dismantle its military assets in the south. While Israel was also supposed to withdraw its forces, it continues to occupy five southern positions it claims are strategically critical.

The Lebanese Army has been moving into areas previously controlled by Hezbollah. A source familiar with the group stated that Hezbollah had handed over about 190 of its 265 identified positions south of the Litani River to the Lebanese military.