1 killed in Israeli drone strike in Lebanon despite ceasefire

By Rasa Evrensel and Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – One civilian was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Thursday, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said another person was injured in the strike that targeted a motorcycle in the Kfarjoz district of the Nabatieh province.

The Israeli army, for its part, claimed that the strike hit Hezbollah commander Mohammad Ahmad Khreiss.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement that Khreiss was Hezbollah’s anti-tank commander in the Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli attack on Lebanon came amid its ongoing conflict with Iran when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran on July 13, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target the Hezbollah group’s activities despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon reached last November. The truce ended months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

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. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.