Six killed, including Hezbollah members, in Israeli strikes on the south

Six people were killed Thursday in a series of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Lebanese authorities said, with Israel claiming to target Hezbollah fighters. These strikes occured despite the truce that ended the deadly war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on Nov. 27.

An Israeli drone strike on Thursday morning on Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh), killed three people, according to a report by the Ministry of Health. According to information from L'Orient Today's correspondent in southern Lebanon, the three victims were Hezbollah members, identified as Hussein Ali Hallal from Habboush, Fawzat Noureddine and Mohammad Sultan from Kfar Remman.

Before this drone strike, the "Dabash" area at Yohmor al-Shaqif was shelled by Israeli artillery with about ten shells. The Israeli army claimed this fire and said it targeted "several Hezbollah terrorists transporting weapons."

Early Thursday morning, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person was killed and another injured in an attack by an "enemy drone" that targeted a vehicle in the locality of Maaroub, about 20 km from the Israeli border, in the Sour district. Israel claimed to have "eliminated" in this strike an official of the Radwan unit, Hezbollah's elite force. After this strike, the Israeli army claimed the elimination "by a drone from Division 91" of Ahmad Adnan Bjeijeh, "a battalion commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force." It accused him of "conducting several terrorist operations" against Israel during and after the war. The Israeli army said it carried out this strike in the region of Derdghaya, a village neighboring Maaroub.

Thursday afternoon, L'Orient Today's correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a car on the road linking Barasheet to Beit Yahoun. Two people were killed in this strike, according to the Ministry of Health. Shortly afterwards, the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson announced that the two people killed were Hezbollah members.

'Scare' the inhabitants of southern Lebanon

Meanwhile, a stun grenade was fired by the Israeli army at several people setting up a coffee-selling kiosk in Houla (Marjayoun). A source within the Houla municipality said that this fire slightly injured two people, hit by stone fragments after the grenade's explosion. This source believed that the Israelis "want to scare the inhabitants so they don’t return to the village and resume a normal life there."

In the Bekaa Valley, an Israeli drone flew at medium altitude over the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, notably the villages of Nabi Sheet, Janta, Yahfoufa and Shaara, which are regularly hit by Israeli strikes. Two strikes targeted this area Wednesday morning.

At least 116 killed since November

A cease-fire agreement on Nov. 27 ended the two-month open war between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, which opened a front against Israel in solidarity with Hamas at the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. Despite the truce, Israel regularly conducts strikes on Lebanon, where it intends to maintain "complete military freedom of action." According to the Israeli army, these strikes target Hezbollah members or infrastructure. At least 116 people have been killed in these strikes since late November, according to L'Orient Today's tally.

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The most intense escalation since the cease-fire occurred last weekend, with Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killing eight people. Israel said that these strikes followed rocket fire. These launches were not claimed. Hezbollah, heavily weakened by two months of open war against Israel, denied any involvement.

Under the cease-fire, Hezbollah was supposed to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 km from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel was to withdraw its forces beyond the United Nations-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but retains five positions in southern Lebanon which it considers "strategic."

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Wednesday that the movement would not accept "the continuation of the [Israeli] occupation. There is no place for normalization or surrender in Lebanon," he said in a televised address.