Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that Israeli strikes killed six people in the south of the country, 10 days after a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon kill six
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah are accused of violating a truce that went into effect on November 27 to end a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and caused massive displacement on both sides.
“An Israeli enemy airstrike on the town of Beit Lif resulted in the martyrdom of five people and the wounding of five others,” the health ministry said in a statement, while in another incident, a drone strike killed one person in Deir Seryan. The two settlements are more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) apart.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said it had struck a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon, one of many operations against “activities … posing a threat” to Israel.
“In one case, (the military) identified a Hezbollah terrorist who posed a threat to troops stationed in southern Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire,” the military said, adding that the air force “struck the terrorist.”
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that “an enemy drone hit a motorbike in Deir Seryan.”
On Monday, the Health Ministry said Israeli strikes had killed nine people in southern Lebanon, after Israel said it was striking dozens of Hezbollah targets in retaliation for an attack for which the militant group claimed responsibility. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the truce was “holding” despite a number of incidents.
18 journalists killed by Israeli forces during November
A Palestinian human rights organisation said on Saturday that 18 journalists were killed in Gaza by Israeli forces in November.
The Palestinian Centre for Media Development and Freedom (MADA) said in a report that Israeli forces committed 65 violations against journalists in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip during the month.
The report stressed that these violations included 22 incidents in the occupied West Bank and 43 in Gaza, indicating that Israeli forces are targeting media workers to suppress coverage of the war.
MADA said the attacks are aimed at “silencing journalists and preventing them from documenting the ongoing events and atrocities for the world community.” The organisation also reported that Israeli forces destroyed the homes of seven journalists in Gaza in targeted airstrikes.
According to MADA, 192 journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023 as a result of Israel’s ongoing military offensives in Gaza.
Israel has waged a war in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 44,600 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
