2 killed in Israeli drone strikes in south Lebanon, sit-in in Nabatieh after Blida incursion

The Israeli incursion that took place at dawn Thursday in Blida (Marjayoun district) and the killing of a municipal employee continue to spark unrest in south Lebanon.

On Friday morning, a solidarity sit-in was held outside the courthouse in Nabatieh to denounce what Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad called an "escalation in Israeli operations."

Fayad praised President Joseph Aoun, who called on the Lebanese Army to respond to any Israeli attack.

In this tense context, an Israeli drone struck the Kounin area (Bint Jbeil district), killing a Hezbollah member and injuring another person. Another Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle traveling between Nabatieh and Shoukin killed one person.

During the sit-in in Nabatieh, organized by the "gathering of the people of the South," MP Fayad denounced that Israel "deliberately targets Lebanese official institutions," noting that the man killed in Blida was sleeping in the municipal building.

This operation, unprecedented since the cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, has sparked numerous reactions, particularly regarding the truce monitoring "mechanism," which had met the day before.

Fayad described Aoun's position as a "significant development in the confrontation with the Zionist enemy." "We are facing an escalation in Israeli operations," he insisted.

Also speaking, Hezbollah MP Qassem Hashem lamented that "the people of the South are paying the highest price for the country," stating that "the enemy only understands the language of force."

The governor of Nabatieh, Hwaida Turk, emphasized the need to "liberate our land and ensure lasting security in our regions so we can focus on reconstruction and development of the South."

'Hezbollah maintenance officer' killed in Kounine

During the day, an Israeli drone carried out a strike on the village of Kounine, killing a motorcyclist and injuring another person, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

A source in the Kounine municipality said the strike targeted municipal workers.

The motorcyclist, Ibrahim Raslan, was killed while checking subscriptions for the village's private generators.

A sanitation worker who was working on the road was injured.

The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that Israel had "eliminated" a Hezbollah maintenance officer in southern Lebanon in this strike.

"Earlier today, the Israeli army struck in the Kounine region in southern Lebanon and eliminated Ibrahim Mohammad Raslan, who worked as a maintenance officer in the Hezbollah organization ... and was attempting to rebuild Hezbollah's infrastructure," he said in a message posted on X.

The party, for its part, issued a statement paying tribute to Ibrahim Raslan.

In the afternoon, a resident of a residential building in the al-Mashaa neighborhood of Adloun (Saida district) received an anonymous call from a foreign number. Security services ordered the building evacuated as a precaution while awaiting the results of the investigation.

In addition, another strike killed the driver of a motorcycle as he was traveling on a road between Nabatieh and Choukine. The victim, identified as Hassan Ghaith, succumbed to his injuries after being previously targeted by another Israeli drone strike against a shopping center in Nabatieh.

Unaware that he was the target of that initial strike, he continued on his route to deliver an order before being fatally hit.

UNIFIL reaffirms support for Lebanese Army

Also on Friday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated in a release that it "remains committed to supporting the Lebanese Army in the implementation of its missions in accordance with resolution 1701."

The peacekeepers had faced sharp criticism from Blida residents the day before, following the Israeli nighttime incursion.

"Our peacekeepers patrol daily alongside the Lebanese armed forces to help restore security and stability. These joint efforts are essential to support the army in extending state authority throughout southern Lebanon," the statement read.

Director General of General Security Hassan Choucair met with General Diodato Abagnara and several UNIFIL officers during a visit to UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, before inspecting the General Security Center at the border, saluting the "efforts and sacrifices of the soldiers to maintain state authority despite ongoing Israeli attacks."

Despite the cease-fire, Israeli attacks continue daily in southern Lebanon and other regions considered Hezbollah strongholds.

The group emerged significantly weakened from its war with Israel but continues to refuse to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese government. Israel accuses it of trying to rebuild its arsenal.