Israeli Airstrike in Southern Lebanon Kills One, Reports State Media

BEIRUT, 25 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – An Israeli drone strike killed one person in southern Lebanon late on Monday, following a weekend of intensified aerial attacks in the region, state media reported.

“A raid by an enemy Israeli drone on a vehicle in the area of Qaqaiyat al-Jisr left one dead,” stated the National News Agency (ANI), citing figures from the Lebanese health ministry.

The attack comes just days after Israel launched a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of eight people. These strikes were carried out in response to rocket fire that landed on Israeli territory—the first such attack since a ceasefire agreement was established on 27 November.

Ceasefire Under Strain

No group has claimed responsibility for the recent rocket fire, which a military source indicated originated from an area north of the Litani River, near the villages of Kfar Tebnit and Arnoun. This region falls outside the ceasefire zone and is not subject to the same deployment restrictions as areas further south.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces are permitted to operate south of the Litani River, while Hezbollah is required to withdraw its military infrastructure beyond this boundary. However, despite the agreement, Hezbollah continues to face Israeli airstrikes, raising concerns about the stability of the truce.

Diplomatic Efforts to Avert Further Escalation

Over the weekend, Lebanese officials engaged in discussions with representatives from Washington and Paris in an effort to prevent further Israeli attacks on Beirut, according to a diplomatic source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Tensions escalated further when Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that any attack on the northern Israeli town of Metula would be met with severe retaliation. “Metula’s fate is the same as Beirut’s,” he stated on Saturday, implying that Israel would not hesitate to extend its strikes into the Lebanese capital.

Context:

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has seen intermittent violence despite multiple ceasefire agreements over the years. The latest round of hostilities highlights the fragility of the current truce and the risk of a broader regional conflict. Lebanon, already grappling with economic turmoil and political instability, faces further uncertainty as tensions in the south threaten to escalate once again.