Key facts
- An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed five people, including three children.
- The Israeli military stated its target was a Hezbollah militant operating from within a civilian population.
- Lebanon's Health Ministry confirmed the casualties and stated two others were wounded, including the mother.
- Lebanese officials reported that four of the deceased, including the children and their father, held U.S. citizenship.
- The U.S. State Department indicated that none of the five appeared to be U.S. citizens.
- Israel has continued daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November.
Israeli forces conducted drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Friday morning, hitting the Al-Mansouri area in Tyre district, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). The Israeli military also carried out an overnight operation that trapped residents in Haris.
Separately, an Israeli drone strike on Sunday killed five people, including three children and their father, Lebanon's Health Ministry confirmed. Two others were wounded, including the mother. The Israeli military stated its target was a Hezbollah militant operating from within a civilian population and acknowledged that civilians were killed, adding it was reviewing the incident.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asserted that four of the deceased, including the children and their father, held U.S. citizenship. However, the U.S. State Department countered that none of the five appeared to be U.S. citizens, though the situation was described as fluid.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November to end Israel's conflict with Hezbollah, Israel has continued to conduct almost daily strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. Lebanese officials have warned that these ongoing strikes risk the country's recent efforts to disarm Hezbollah and could destabilize the nation. Hezbollah maintains it no longer has a military presence south of the Litani River and refuses disarmament talks without Israel ceasing attacks and withdrawing from southern Lebanese territory.
President Joseph Aoun, who landed in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, condemned the strike and urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop. Aoun, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, had endorsed an agreement last month for the gradual disarmament of Hezbollah. The monthslong war between Hezbollah and Israel resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and displaced residents across the southern and eastern regions.