Israeli drone attack near Beirut kills at least one, injures three others

Air raid hits conveyance successful Khaldeh, southbound of Lebanese capital, arsenic Israel continues its near-daily attacks connected Lebanon.

An Israeli drone onslaught has killed astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and injured 3 adjacent the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says, the latest violation of the ceasefire betwixt the 2 countries.

The aerial raid connected Thursday deed a conveyance connected a engaged motorway successful the Khaldeh area, astir 12km (8 miles) southbound of Beirut.

The Israeli subject said it targeted “military sites and weapons depots” successful the area.

Bombing an country adjacent the Lebanese superior marks different escalation by Israel, which has been carrying retired near-daily bombardment successful Lebanon since it reached a truce with Hezbollah successful November of past year.

The identities of the victims of the onslaught person not been released.

Reporting from extracurricular Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr noted that the Israeli aerial raid took spot during unreserved hour, with galore radical making their mode from Beirut to south Lebanon.

“Israel is besides acting with small restraint. The Lebanese authorities wants these attacks to stop, but the authorities has small leverage. Hezbollah, too, if it does respond, could trigger a harsh Israeli retaliation,” Khodr said.

“We don’t spot a wide-scale Israeli bombardment similar we saw past year, targeting areas wherever Hezbollah has influence, but we spot these attacks happening astir connected a regular basis.”

Later connected Thursday, the Israeli subject carried retired a question of aerial strikes crossed southbound Lebanon, with dense bombardment targeting the outskirts of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, adjacent Nabatieh, Lebanon’s authoritative National News Agency reported.

Lebanese officials often condemn specified attacks and telephone connected the United States and France – the 2 sponsors of past year’s ceasefire – to unit Israel to extremity its violations.

But diplomatic efforts person failed to stem the ceasefire breaches, amid unwillingness by the US and its Western allies to clasp Israel to account.

The repeated Israeli attacks are investigating Hezbollah’s presumption successful Lebanon aft it suffered achy blows successful its confrontation with Israel past year.

The Iran-allied radical started attacking Israeli subject positions astatine the borderline successful October 2023, successful what it said was a “support front” to assistance bring an extremity to the warfare connected Gaza.

For months, the struggle remained mostly confined to the borderline region, but successful September of past year, Israel launched an all-out battle connected Lebanon that destroyed ample parts of the country, particularly areas wherever Hezbollah enjoys support.

The Israeli subject besides assassinated the group’s apical governmental and subject leaders, including Hezbollah main Hassan Nasrallah.

A ceasefire was reached successful November, successful accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a erstwhile struggle successful 2006.

The truce stipulated that Hezbollah indispensable retreat its forces to the northbound of the Litani River, astir 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border.

But aft the truce came into effect, Israel continued to inhabit parts of southbound Lebanon successful usurpation of the agreement, and it has been carrying retired attacks crossed the country.

Weakened by the war, Hezbollah has refrained from responding. The Lebanese Armed Forces person besides failed to deed backmost against Israel.

The latest onslaught successful Khaldeh comes amid Lebanese media reports astir a US connection that would spot Hezbollah disarm successful speech for an extremity to Israel’s attacks and a afloat withdrawal from the country.

But Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem appeared to disregard immoderate statement to springiness up the group’s weapons that would impact Israel.

“We are a radical that cannot beryllium driven to humiliation. We volition not springiness up our land. We volition not springiness up our arms to the Israeli enemy,” Qassem said. “And we volition not judge to beryllium threatened into concessions.”

Qassem antecedently warned that Hezbollah’s “patience” successful allowing the Lebanese authorities to woody with the Israeli attacks diplomatically whitethorn tally out.

But fixed the outgo of the erstwhile warfare connected Hezbollah’s subject operation arsenic good arsenic its civilian base, it is not wide whether the radical is successful a presumption to renew the struggle with Israel.