An Israeli drone strike killed five people, including three children, in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil on Sunday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed. Two others were wounded in the attack, which marks one of the deadliest incidents since the fragile US-brokered truce took effect in November 2024.
Strike Details and Casualties
Lebanon’s state news agency reported that the strike hit a motorbike and a vehicle, causing extensive civilian casualties. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said a father and his three children were among the dead, while the mother was injured. He claimed the family held US citizenship, though the US State Department disputed this, clarifying that “the five killed were not US citizens” and that one victim only had an unused immigrant visa petition in the past.
Israel’s Statement
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike killed a Hezbollah member but admitted that civilians were also among the dead.
“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimise harm as much as possible. The incident is under review,” the military said in a statement.
Lebanese Leadership Response
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack, calling it a:
“Blatant crime against civilians and a message of intimidation aimed at our people returning to their villages in the south.”
Recent Escalations
The strike followed a series of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. On Friday, Israel killed two people and injured 11 others when drones struck two cars. A day earlier, Israel carried out intensive airstrikes on five towns, which the Lebanese Army denounced as a dangerous escalation that undermines its security operations south of the Litani River.
Conflict Background
Cross-border hostilities surged after Israel’s military campaign against Lebanon in October 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and wounding around 17,000. The conflict ended with a truce in November 2024, but recurrent clashes and Israeli drone operations have raised fears of renewed war.
Key Takeaway
The Bint Jbeil drone strike highlights the fragile state of the Lebanon–Israel ceasefire. With Israel acknowledging civilian deaths and Lebanese leaders condemning the attack as intimidation, the risk of a wider regional escalation remains high.
