UPDATE – 3 killed in Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, ADDS DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Betul Yilmaz and Ahmed Asmar

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least three people were killed in separate Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, Lebanese authorities said on Wednesday.

The Health Ministry said that one person died and another was injured in a drone strike in the town of Hanin in the Bent Jbeil district.

One more Lebanese was killed and another injured when a drone hit a vehicle in the Wadi al-Hujeir area of the Marjaayoun district, the state news agency NNA reported.

The Israeli army, for its part, claimed that the attack in Wadi al-Hujeir targeted a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Unit, without identifying him.

A third Lebanese died of his wounds sustained in an Israeli drone strike on his vehicle in the town of Aitaroun on Tuesday, NNA said.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 2024, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities have reported over 1,440 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 125 victims and injuries to more than 371.

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