ISTANBUL

An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed four people and injured three others, violating a ceasefire agreement, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Sunday.

An Israeli drone hit a vehicle on the Doha-Kafarman road in the Nabatieh district late Saturday, the official National News Agency reported.

The targeted vehicle was completely destroyed, and four people inside were killed. Two others on a passing motorcycle were also injured, the agency said.

The Israeli strike also shattered the windows of dozens of homes across Doha, a predominantly residential area, it added.

For its part, the Israeli army confirmed the attack, claiming that it had targeted Hezbollah officers.

Tension has mounted along the Lebanese-Israeli border in recent weeks, with Tel Aviv intensifying airstrikes in southern towns, despite the ceasefire that has been in place since November 2024.

Defense Minister Israel Katz, on the US social media company X, accused the Lebanese president of delaying taking action for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a step Israel has demanded.

“Hezbollah is playing with fire,” he said, vowing to intensify attacks if the group’s disarmament is not fully implemented.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanon or Hezbollah on the statement.

In August, the Lebanese government approved a plan to confine all weapons under state control. Hezbollah rejected the plan and stressed that it will retain its arms until Israel withdraws from five occupied border outposts in the south.

The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.

Under the ceasefire, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but it only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.