In a concerning development amidst a fragile ceasefire, official Lebanese media reported that an Israeli strike hit southern Lebanon on Wednesday. This marks the second consecutive day of such military action, raising tensions further between Israel and Hezbollah, despite the recent truce agreements aimed at stabilizing the region.
According to the National News Agency, the strike was conducted by “an enemy drone,” targeting a house in the Yohmor al-Shaqeef area. Notably, this house had previously been destroyed in an earlier raid, highlighting the ongoing cycle of violence that has plagued the border areas.
This recent strike follows a series of attacks that occurred on Tuesday, when Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes in the southern town of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa resulted in injuries to 20 individuals. Additionally, another strike in the neighboring town of Zawtar wounded four others. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed the strikes, asserting that they were aimed at Hezbollah vehicles that were purportedly transporting weapons within southern Lebanon.
The fragile ceasefire, established on November 27, emerged after more than a year of escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of intense warfare. The ceasefire agreement called for the Lebanese military to deploy in southern regions alongside United Nations peacekeeping forces, coinciding with an Israeli military withdrawal that was set to span a 60-day timeline, which concluded on the preceding Sunday. The deal also mandated that Hezbollah reposition its forces north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle any residual military infrastructure in the southern region.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Monday that Lebanon had consented to extending the ceasefire agreement until February 18, following Israel’s failure to meet the Sunday deadline for withdrawal. The situation at the border has been volatile in recent days, with reports of bloodshed as displaced residents attempted to return to their homes. Tragically, Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed that Israeli fire resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Monday, while the day prior, 24 people seeking to return to their villages were killed.
As tensions persist and violence continues to erupt, the prospects for lasting peace in the region remain uncertain, leaving communities on both sides of the border in a precarious situation.
