BEIRUT – A drone strike by Israel in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of five individuals on Sunday, including three children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The children and their father, who were among the victims, held U.S. citizenship, stated Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Two others were wounded, including the mother in the family.
Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut could not immediately be reached for comment.
Although a ceasefire was agreed upon in November to conclude Israel’s lengthy conflict with the Hezbollah militant group, Israel has continued operations in southern and eastern Lebanon nearly every day since.
The Israeli military reported it was targeting a Hezbollah militant, noting that the individual “operated from within a civilian area.” They admitted civilian casualties occurred and indicated they are assessing the situation.
A statement from the military read, “The IDF is acting against Hezbollah and will persist in efforts to eliminate threats to the State of Israel.”
Israel consistently claims its operations target Hezbollah operatives or facilities in the ravaged southern part of Lebanon. While Hezbollah has only admitted to one cross-border attack since the ceasefire, Israel alleges the group is attempting to restore its operational strength.
Lebanese authorities have cautioned that the ongoing airstrikes could jeopardize the nation’s strides towards disarming Hezbollah and might destabilize the region. Hezbollah insists it has no military presence south of the Litani River and remains firm that disarmament discussions will not proceed unless Israel halts attacks and withdraws from southern Lebanon.
President Joseph Aoun, who earlier landed in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, condemned the strike and called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop. Aoun, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, endorsed an agreement last month that would gradually disarm Hezbollah.
“There is no peace above the blood of our children,” said Aoun in a statement from his office.
The monthslong war between Hezbollah and Israel killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced residents across southern and eastern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Salam called the attack a “message of intimidation targeting our people returning to their villages in the south.”
Hezbollah officials say the ongoing strikes justify their refusal to give up their arms, and claim that the ceasefire agreement and monitoring mechanism with the United States, France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces is ineffective.
“They have proven once again that resorting to official protection under international auspices has not provided them with security and stability,” said Hezbollah parliamentarian Hassan Fadlallah.
Under the Washington-brokered ceasefire, both the militant Hezbollah group and Israel were supposed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon and halt strikes against each other. Israeli forces have continue to occupy five Lebanese hilltop points by the border.
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