Beirut/Jerusalem: Four killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon as fighter jets and drones pounded southern and eastern regions on Sunday, leaving two others injured amid escalating border tensions.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the strikes hit vehicles in Zawtar, Qlaileh, Naqoura, and Nabi Sheet. Security officials told Xinhua that three Hezbollah members and one Syrian national died in the attacks.
The Israeli military confirmed that its forces carried out two rounds of strikes, targeting a Hezbollah commander and a weapons smuggler. Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israeli troops eliminated a fighter from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in Qlaileh. He described the operation as part of Israel’s effort to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding its military network in the south.
Lebanese authorities reported 10 deaths in just one week, calling it one of the deadliest periods since the cross-border clashes intensified.
Israeli media named several senior Hezbollah operatives killed in the latest strikes Zain al-Abidin Hussein Fatouni, Mohammad Akram Arabia, Abd Mahmoud al-Sayyed, and Ali Hussein al-Moussawi, who allegedly smuggled weapons between Syria and Lebanon.
Although Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, Israel continues near-daily strikes, claiming they target ongoing Hezbollah threats. Lebanon and several global organisations denounced the attacks as clear violations of the truce.
The UN Human Rights Office recorded over 103 civilian deaths since the ceasefire began. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 285 fatalities and 630 injuries, most occurring in residential zones or near UN posts.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz visited the Israel–Lebanon border with US Deputy Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus to assess the situation — a move analysts see as proof of rising international concern over the conflict’s escalation.
