Lebanon Reports Israeli Strike in South Kills Five

At least five people, including three children, were killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday by an Israeli drone strike, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the attack as a “massacre”.

The state-run National News Agency stated that the strike, which occurred near Bint Jbeil, had targeted a motorcycle.

The Israeli military later confirmed that it had “struck and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon.”

“The terrorist operated from within a civilian population and in violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military said.
“As a result of the strike, several uninvolved civilians were killed. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimise harm as much as possible. The incident is under review.”

Israel frequently conducts strikes inside Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah, despite a November ceasefire intended to end more than a year of hostilities between the two sides.

President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as a “massacre” and urged the international community to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire.

“As we are in New York to discuss matters of peace and human rights, Israel continues its ongoing violations of international resolutions,” Aoun stated via X.
“Israel committed a new massacre in Bint Jbeil, claiming the lives of five martyrs, including three children.”

The president, attending the United Nations General Assembly, called on world leaders to exert every effort to stop violations of international resolutions and to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory and comply with the ceasefire.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also condemned the strikes, calling them a “deliberate crime against civilians” in a post on X: “The guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement should exercise the strongest pressure on Israel to immediately stop its aggressions, withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, and free detainees.”

The ceasefire, brokered in November, is overseen by a committee including the United States, France, Lebanon, and Israel. Despite this agreement, Israel has increased the number and frequency of strikes in Lebanon this week.

Facing heavy US pressure and concerns over expanded Israeli attacks, the Lebanese government is seeking to disarm Hezbollah.

Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi announced that the army aims to complete the disarmament of the Iran-backed group in the border area within three months.

The Lebanese army stated that Thursday’s strikes had raised Israeli violations of the ceasefire to 4,500 and warned that continued violations could hinder Hezbollah’s disarmament efforts.

This version maintains the full scope of the original report while structuring it for readability, emphasising key figures, locations, and reactions, and incorporating a table to visualise recent incidents and ceasefire violations.