Israeli Strikes Kill Two in Southern Lebanon Amid Rising Tensions

Violence flared again along the Lebanon–Israel border on Wednesday, as Israeli attacks across multiple southern towns left at least two people dead and four others injured. The strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached last November that was intended to bring an end to more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Series of Strikes Across Southern Lebanon

The first incident occurred in the town of Yater, where an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the strike killed one person instantly.

Later in the day, Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Shebaa, striking a residential home. The attack killed one man and wounded two children. Simultaneously, the outskirts of al-Kharayeb were hit, leaving at least one more civilian injured. The Israeli army later stated that it had targeted “a site for producing means that aid in the rehabilitation of Hezbollah and the promotion of militant plots.”

In Houla, near the border, an Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb close to residents who were moving furniture out of their homes. No injuries were reported, but the incident added to a climate of fear among civilians already displaced or unsettled by weeks of violence.

Escalation Despite Ceasefire

The strikes highlight the fragility of the November ceasefire, which aimed to halt both cross-border exchanges and a two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah. Despite the agreement, Israel has continued operations in Lebanon, justifying them as preemptive measures against Hezbollah infrastructure.

Israeli forces still occupy five strategic hills in southern Lebanon, positions they argue are critical for security. These areas remain a central point of contention, with Hezbollah demanding Israel’s full withdrawal as part of the ceasefire deal.

On Tuesday night, Israeli troops reportedly crossed into the outskirts of Aitaroun, detonating a house in the border town. In a separate operation, Israel’s Mountain Brigade said it destroyed “several posts previously used by Hezbollah” in the contested Shebaa Farms region, describing the action as “precise.”

Hezbollah’s Position

Hezbollah has repeatedly insisted it has honored its side of the ceasefire by pulling its fighters back from the South Litani area. The group argues that Israel is undermining the truce by continuing air and ground attacks and refusing to leave the five hills it still occupies.

The renewed violence has raised concerns of a wider escalation, particularly as both sides frame their actions as defensive. Civilians in the border towns remain caught in the middle, with homes, livelihoods, and lives disrupted by a conflict that shows little sign of easing.