Israeli Strike in Bint Jbeil Kills 1, Injures 4 Troops

The Lebanese Army reported that one person was killed and four soldiers injured on Monday in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, where a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has been in place since last month. According to the Army, Israeli forces targeted a car near the Saf al-Hawa/Bint Jbeil military checkpoint, resulting in the death of a civilian and light injuries to four soldiers. The National News Agency confirmed that enemy aircraft struck the vehicle on the Saf al-Hawa road near an army checkpoint.

The Israeli military stated that on Sunday, it attacked Hezbollah militants at a weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon, accusing them of violating the ceasefire. The military claimed these militants had orchestrated and carried out attacks against Israeli forces and civilians in recent months, and that several Hezbollah fighters had been targeted in the past 24 hours.

Israel had intensified its operations in southern Lebanon in late September, following a year of border skirmishes initiated by Hezbollah in support of Hamas after the Palestinian group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. A ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27, and while it has mostly held, both sides have accused each other of violating the truce.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers are expected to take over security in southern Lebanon while Israeli forces withdraw over 60 days. Hezbollah is also supposed to move its forces north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Israel has issued repeated warnings to Lebanese civilians, advising them to avoid border areas, with another warning issued on Monday. The previous Monday, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in 11 deaths, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, following Hezbollah’s claim of its first attack on an Israeli position since the ceasefire began. The same day, a Lebanese soldier was injured in an Israeli strike in the eastern Hermel region.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad reported on Wednesday that the death toll from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah had reached 4,047, with most casualties occurring since the escalation in September, including 316 children. On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if the war resumes, Israel would act with greater force and penetrate deeper into Lebanon, stating that no immunity would be granted to the Lebanese state, which has not been directly involved in the conflict.