Kfarsir: An Israeli air strike has killed at least four people in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, further straining an already fragile truce with Hezbollah that has held for nearly a year.
The attack took place in the town of Kfarsir in the Nabatieh district. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that three others were wounded when a guided missile struck a vehicle at approximately 2:15pm local time (16:15 GMT), state-run Lebanon News Agency reported.
Rising strain on ceasefire deal
The strike came a day after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of escalating military operations following his call for renewed negotiations to secure a lasting end to the cross-border conflict.
Hostilities originally ignited in 2023 when Hezbollah launched attacks into Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza after the Hamas-led assault on October 7. A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 after more than a year of fighting. However, the truce has been repeatedly tested by near-daily Israeli air raids and military operations.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel maintains troops in five areas of southern Lebanon and continues to conduct strikes it says target Hezbollah positions. Civilians, first responders and journalists have also been among the casualties. According to the United Nations, at least 111 Lebanese civilians have been killed by Israeli forces since the truce took effect.
Calls for negotiation and rising hostilities
President Aoun, who proposed negotiations with Israel in mid-October following a US brokered ceasefire, said his aim is to end the Israeli occupation. Israel, in turn, accuses the Lebanese government of failing to uphold its side of the ceasefire by not restraining or disarming Hezbollah.
Hezbollah firmly rejects any pressure to disarm. In another sign of worsening tensions, President Aoun ordered the Lebanese Armed Forces to confront any new Israeli incursions into the south. The directive followed an operation by Israeli soldiers in the border town of Blida.
Ground raid in Blida adds fuel to the crisis
During that incursion, Israeli troops stormed the town hall and killed municipal employee Ibrahim Salameh, who was reportedly asleep inside the building, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Israel’s military said the operation aimed to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and claimed soldiers opened fire in response to an immediate threat, without providing further evidence.
The latest developments have raised fears that the uneasy truce could collapse, potentially reigniting full-scale conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border.
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