Israel’s Defense Minister has asserted that the military’s actions were a response to stray gunfire originating from Lebanon. This follows the reports from Lebanese state media and the health ministry, which indicate that four lives were lost due to Israeli strikes in the southern region.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA), “The Israeli enemy’s strike this evening on the town of Ainata resulted in the death of two individuals,” as stated by the health ministry’s emergency service.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the military targeted Ainata after “a stray bullet from a Hezbollah operative’s funeral” struck the windshield of a vehicle in Avivim, a community in northern Israel. “We will not permit any shooting from Lebanese territory toward northern communities—our response to any violation of the ceasefire will be significant,” emphasized Mr. Katz.
Previously, the health ministry in Lebanon confirmed the death of one person following an Israeli strike in Mais al-Jabal, while the NNA reported another casualty in Bint Jbeil. The agency noted that an Israeli drone conducted “a strike on a vehicle in the town of Mais al-Jabal, leading to one fatality.”
This incident marks the third Israeli strike on southern Lebanon within a 24-hour period, according to the NNA. The health ministry reported an Israeli drone strike that killed one individual and injured another when it targeted a four-wheel-drive vehicle near Yater in the Bint Jbeil district around 2 AM. “The Israeli enemy’s airstrike on a vehicle in Yater resulted in the martyrdom of a citizen and the injury of another,” stated the ministry, as reported by the NNA.
During this time, Israel’s military claimed to have eliminated two Hezbollah members in two separate operations within Lebanon. “Earlier today, the IDF struck and eliminated two Hezbollah operatives who were involved in surveillance and directing terrorist actions in the areas of Yatar and Meiss El Jabal,” the military declared in a statement.
This event follows a previous report from Lebanon’s health ministry, which stated that one individual was killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the southern border town of Burj al-Muluk. In the aftermath of this raid, the Israeli military claimed to have “targeted a Hezbollah terrorist involved in terrorist activities around Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.”
On Tuesday, the Israeli military reported it had conducted a strike in southern Lebanon that resulted in the death of a senior Hezbollah militant. This series of events also coincides with Lebanon’s return of four detainees who had been taken to Israel during clashes with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group; a fifth detainee, a soldier, was released on Thursday after being captured earlier this month.
The ceasefire, established on November 27, has largely quelled over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which included two intense months of war and an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon. Despite this ceasefire, Israel has continued to conduct intermittent attacks on Lebanese territory since the agreement came into effect.
Israel had initially planned to withdraw its forces from Lebanon by February 18, following the missed January deadline. Nonetheless, troops remain stationed at five locations deemed “strategic.” The ceasefire agreement also stipulated that Hezbollah pull back north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle any remaining military installations in the south.
As the situation develops, it is clear that the region remains sensitive to escalations and ceasefire violations.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
