4 killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

ISTANBUL

Four people were killed in Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, the Health Ministry said.

A statement by the ministry’s emergency operations center said an attack targeted a car in the town of Yater in Bint Jbeil district, killing one person and injuring another.

State news agency NNA said a drone fired a missile after midnight on an SUV in the town, causing the casualties.

In another attack, an Israeli drone strike killed one person after targeting a vehicle in the town of Mays al-Jabal in Marjayoun district, NNA reported.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that the strikes had “eliminated two Hezbollah operatives engaged in reconnaissance activities and coordinating attacks” in Yater and Mays al-Jabal.

Later in the night, the Lebanese Health Ministry said two people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Aainata, Bint Jbeil district.

The ministry described the airstrikes as a violation of the ongoing ceasefire.

The truce has been in place in Lebanon since November 2024, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 1,100 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 89 victims and injuries to more than 280.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.