Israel kills man operating bulldozer in south Lebanon drone strike

SOUTH LEBANON — A man was killed by an Israeli drone that fired three missiles at the excavator he was operating on Saturday afternoon in the area between the town of Deir Kifa, in Sour district, and the town of Kfar Dounin in neighboring Bint Jbeil district.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South, the victim, whose name is Ahmed Baalbaki, was still alive when ambulances arrived on the scene, but later succumbed to his injuries.

After the attack, the Israeli army claimed in a post on X that its drone had targeted a Hezbollah member who was "using an engineering vehicle to try to restore infrastructure" that had been destroyed during last year's war.

The attack follows a recent escalation of Israeli strikes specifically on equipment and sites used for construction — and, notably, reconstruction — in southern Lebanon. Israeli strikes on Lebanon have continued unabated since it agreed to a truce with Hezbollah last November. Israel has killed more than 320 people since the supposed cease-fire. Israeli troops continue to conduct incursions into Lebanese villages to blow up homes and buildings there.

Olive season amid occupation

Southern Lebanon municipalities announce measures to regulate olive harvest

A short time later, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade at residents harvesting olives in in Bastra, near the town of Kfar Shuba, in Hasbaya district. According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, no injuries were reported in the attack.

On Oct. 8, the border villages of Blida and Houla, in Marjayoun district, asked their residents to register before heading to their olive groves this harvest season, so that they could notify Israeli forces occupying nearby Lebanese territory along the Blue Line of their movements.

The head of the Houla municipal council said that the measure is meant to "ensure the safety of farmers and residents," noting that "the Israeli enemy targets everything it sees, the latest example being the destruction of a cafe and a house in the village," the night previous.