BEIRUT, Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike on a main highway in southern Lebanon killed one person on Monday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as Israel stepped up attacks on its northern neighbour despite a year-old ceasefire.
The Health Ministry said an Israeli strike targeted a car in the area of Baissariyeh, killing one person. The vehicle was targeted on the highway connecting Sidon and Tyre.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli strike hit a vehicle near al-Bisariya. Meanwhile, another Israeli drone attack later targeted open land near al-Hamira. No injuries were reported in the second incident.
Weekend strikes kill five more
The attack followed a weekend of heavy Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon that killed five people, according to the Health Ministry.
On Sunday, two people died in Israeli strikes in the Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil regions, in what Lebanese officials described as repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.
One of the strikes targeted an area between Al-Sawwaneh and Khirbet Selm, where Israeli drones reportedly fired three missiles at a pickup truck, the NNA said.
Another person was killed when a car was struck on the Houmine al-Fawqa–Hamila road in the Iqlim al-Tuffah area of Nabatieh.
The NNA also reported Israeli drones flying at low altitude over the Tyre district, Nabatieh province, Iqlim al-Tuffah, and parts of Bint Jbeil.
Israeli ground forces carried out shelling on the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab, near Tyre, the agency said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the latest strikes.
Mounting tensions despite ceasefire
Tensions have surged in Lebanon over recent weeks, with Israel conducting near-daily air raids, claiming to target Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. The Israeli army accuses Hezbollah of rearming and rebuilding its operational presence near the border.
Lebanon says more than 4,000 people have been killed and nearly 17,000 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, when hostilities first erupted and later expanded into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.
The European Union on Saturday joined international calls urging Israel to halt its military operations in Lebanon. The EU demanded an end to “all actions that violate the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of rejecting diplomatic outreach aimed at restoring calm.
“Lebanon remains committed to peace, but Israel continues to rebuff all efforts for dialogue,” he said in remarks carried by local media.
