Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed four people, including a three-year-old child, on Monday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, as Israel said the attacks targeted members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, marking what Lebanese officials described as a dangerous escalation despite an existing ceasefire.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that three of the victims were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the village of Yanouh. The Israeli military said the strike killed a senior Hezbollah militant identified as the head of the group’s artillery unit in the area, accusing him of carrying out attacks on Israel during the 2024 conflict and attempting to restore Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
The Israeli military acknowledged claims that civilians were harmed, stating that precise munitions and surveillance were used to minimize civilian casualties and that the incident is under review.
A fourth person was killed in the border village of Aita al-Shaab, where Lebanese authorities said Israeli gunfire struck a civilian. Israel said its forces had eliminated a Hezbollah operative involved in intelligence gathering and rebuilding militant infrastructure.
In a separate incident, Israeli forces detained an official from Jama’a Islamiya, a Lebanese Sunni Islamist group, during a raid in the village of Habbariyeh near Hasbaiyaa. Israel described the detainee as a “senior terrorist” and said he was taken to Israel for questioning.
Hezbollah said the incidents represented a “dangerous escalation” and the beginning of a new phase of Israeli aggression. Israel has accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm in violation of the ceasefire, a claim the group denies.
Since the 2024 war, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have reportedly killed around 400 people, according to Lebanese security sources.
