Israeli drone strike kills 1 in southern Lebanon

By Wassim Samih Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) – One person was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

A ministry statement said that the drone strike hit a pickup truck on the Ain al-Mazrab–Tebnine road in the Bint Jbeil district.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the strike.

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Under the truce, 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.