Israel strike on South Lebanon kills one

A suspected Israeli drone strike killed one person in southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanese state media said, as Israel claimed responsibility, saying it targeted a Hezbollah militant despite a six-month-old cease-fire.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), the strike hit a vehicle in the town of Deir al-Zahrani, about 20 kilometers from the Israeli border. The victim, identified as Mohammad Jamoul, was reportedly on his way to dawn prayers when the drone hit.

The Israeli military said it carried out the strike, claiming it killed a regional commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit. It said the operative had "advanced numerous projectile attacks" during the conflict and was recently involved in rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The cease-fire, brokered on Nov. 27, 2024, aimed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of open war.

Under the agreement, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers from the border — and dismantle its military infrastructure in the South. Israel was expected to pull out all troops from Lebanese territory but has maintained a presence in five locations it considers “strategic.”

The Lebanese Army has since deployed in the South and has been removing Hezbollah positions, officials said.