Israeli drone strike kills 3 in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike killed three people and wounded a fourth in southern Lebanon on Thursday despite an ongoing ceasefire, Lebanese media reported.

The state news agency NNA said a drone hit a Honda CR-V vehicle on a road linking the towns of Zawtar and Mifdoun in Nabatieh Governorate, causing the casualties.

Separately, the agency said Israeli troops set fire to a number of houses in the southern town of Ain Arab after warning residents on Wednesday to leave before 5 p.m. local time.

NNA said an Israeli military patrol accompanied by a D9 bulldozer raided the town and instructed its mayor to notify residents that they had to evacuate their homes before 5 pm, threatening to demolish the houses if they failed to comply.

Residents of Ain Arab had returned to their town only Wednesday morning after the Lebanese army reopened the road linking it with the neighboring town of Mari, which had remained closed for an extended period, the agency added.

Since March 2, Israel’s offensive in Lebanon has killed nearly 4,200 people, wounded over 12,000 others and displaced more than one million people, according to official Lebanese figures.

A recently signed memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran calls for ending hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, as part of efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement between the two sides.

Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war. During its latest offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.