Israel continues its almost a day strike in Lebanon despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah last November.
Lebanon’s health ministry says two people were killed in separate Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon, and Israel has announced that both of the killed people are members of Hezbollah.
One attack targeted vehicles traveling on the road between Aita Ashshab and the border village of Rmeish, but earlier in the day the attack struck the vehicle south of the coastal city of Sidon.
“The attacks made by Israeli enemies on the car on Sidon Gazier Road caused one death,” a statement from Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on the straight day of the fourth day of Israeli attacks in the south.
Israel continues to strike almost a day in Lebanon despite a ceasefire that broke out in November last year, when it attempted to stop a year-long conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israeli forces said they “had implemented an accurate strike in the Sidon region and eliminated Hezbollah terrorist Muhammad Jafar Manna Assad Abdallah.”
Abdallah said he was “responsible for the deployment of Hezbollah’s communications system across Lebanon.”
On Friday evening, “It was announced that the Hezbollah terrorist has been struck and eliminated by the IDF. [military] Aita al-Shaab area.
The Lebanese group has not yet commented on the killing.
AFP journalists said an Israeli attack in Sidon would hit a four-wheel drive vehicle, sending a black pillar of smoke into the air.
At the scene of the strike, security forces members were protected to gather and see the burnt ruins of the vehicle after firefighters fired the flames.
Israeli forces also said it was behind other attacks this week, claiming they killed Hezbollah members.
Civilians killed since the ceasefire
Hezbollah, which has been greatly weakened by the war, says he is abiding by the November ceasefire despite continued Israeli attacks.
The UN says at least 71 civilians have been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said Tuesday it included 14 women and nine children. He called for an investigation into “all military actions in which civilians were killed.”
Under the November ceasefire, Israel would withdraw all its troops from South Lebanon, and Hezbollah decided to pull fighters back north of Lebanon’s Ritani River and dismantle remaining military infrastructure to the south. However, despite the deal, the Israeli military remains in five Southern Lebanon positions that it considers “strategic.”
Lebanese troops are deployed in the southern part of the area, near the border of the area that Israeli forces have pulled back. Lebanese President Joseph Aung told Al Jazeera on Monday that the Army has “dismantled tunnels and warehouses and confiscated weapons bases.”
On Thursday, a Hezbollah official told Reuters that he is ready to hold talks with the Lebanese president about his weapons if Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and stops its strike.
Separately, Hezbollah officials said Friday that the group had defied to argue that Israel would withdraw from the south completely and would not stop its “attack” until it would be handed over the weapons to the Lebanese forces.
“Is it not logical for Israel to retreat first, release prisoners, and stop the invasion… and discuss defensive strategies?” Wafiq Safa said in an interview with Hezbollah’s Al nur Radio Station.
“The defensive strategy is to think about ways to protect Lebanon, and the party is not prepared to hand over the weapons.”
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