3 injured in Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanese town

By Stephanie Rady and Ikram Kouachi

BEIRUT/ANKARA (AA) - At least three civilians were injured following an Israeli airstrike on the town of Ain Qana in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced Friday.

In a statement, the ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center confirmed that "an Israeli airstrike on the town of Ain Qana, Nabatieh, last night resulted in three civilians sustaining injuries."

Earlier, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that Ain Qana had experienced a night of “tension and fear” due to a series of Israeli air raids carried out by warplanes and drones.

According to NNA, the attacks caused "extensive damage to buildings, streets, and vehicles."

In a statement released early Friday, the Israeli army claimed its airstrikes targeted what it alleged were “drone production sites and storage facilities operated by Hezbollah’s aerial unit” in both the southern Beirut suburb and southern Lebanon.

The army further claimed that “despite existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s aerial unit has continued hostile activities and enhanced its capabilities.”

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

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 208 people and injuries to more than 500 since the agreement.

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 Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.