Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes kill three

Three people have been killed in targeted Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, according to the Middle East Eye via Wafa news agency on December 14th.

Reportedly, one person was killed, and another was wounded, when an Israeli strike hit a motorcycle in the town of Yater, in the Bint Jbeil area.

An attack targeting a car travelling between the towns of Safad al-Batikh and Barashit killed another person, while a municipal council member in the town of Jouaya, within the Tyre area, was also killed by a separate attack from Israel.

This is not the first time that Israeli attacks have targeted vehicles, as five people, including three children, were killed when a motorcycle was targeted by an Israeli drone strike on September 21st.

The most recent attacks come days after Israeli strikes targeted suspected Hezbollah sites in south and east Lebanon on December 12th, with “heavy raids” being reported in 12 locations, with some sites being located 30km from the Israeli border.

Attacks have continued despite the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which sought to end hostilities between the countries.

It was reported on December 3rd that both countries were engaging in their first direct diplomatic negotiations in decades, despite Israel’s threats of increased military operations in southern Lebanon.

It was reported on November 19th, that 13 people were killed when an Israeli strike targeted the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon in Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed the strike hit a Hamas facility, a claim Hamas officials described as a “pure fabrication.”

Similarly, the Israeli military confirmed it had carried out strikes targeting a  “weapons storage facility and underground infrastructure used by Hezbollah,” as reported on November 13th, following a declaration by Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem that the group would not relinquish its weapons.

Furthermore, the UN condemned Israel’s attack near peacekeeping troops after an Israeli drone was neutralised by peacekeepers on October 26th.

The peacekeepers were stationed in southern Lebanon to enforce the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which stipulated Israel’s withdrawal from the south. The ceasefire also required Hezbollah to disarm and dismantle its military presence north of the Litani River.

In July, the Israeli army admitted to violating the ceasefire on hundreds of occasions, with 500 strikes being launched since November 2024.

Israel has also maintained a military presence in five areas in southern Lebanon, and reportedly conducts raids on villages on an almost daily basis.

On October 30th, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered the Lebanese army to retaliate against Israeli incursions into the country’s south.

Middle East Eye via Wafa news agency, Maghrebi.org