Israeli drone strike kills 1 in southern Lebanon in latest ceasefire breach

By Omar Alothmani and Tarek Chouiref

ISTANBUL (AA) – An Israeli drone strike on Saturday killed one person when it targeted a vehicle between the southern Lebanese towns of Aitaroun and Ainata, marking the latest breach of a ceasefire in place since late 2024, local authorities said.

The drone fired four missiles at the vehicle in the afternoon, killing its sole occupant, the state news agency NNA said.

The Health Ministry confirmed the fatality but did not release the victim’s identity.

The strike came a day after a Lebanese journalist was killed when an Israeli drone hit his car on the Sidon–Tyre road in the southern Nabatieh district.

On Thursday, eight people, including a Syrian national, were killed and 12 others injured in three Israeli airstrikes on eastern and southern Lebanon, the deadliest attacks in three weeks, local media said.

Israel launched military operations 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 activities of the Hezbollah group.

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.