News - Middle East: At least five people, including three children, were killed and two others wounded in an Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon, the latest breach of the November 2024 ceasefire by the occupying regime.

Lebanese media outlets reported that an Israeli drone fired two guided missiles on Sunday afternoon, one targeting a motorcycle and another hitting a nearby car carrying a family of six in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil. 

The motorcycle rider was killed, while in the car, only the mother and one daughter survived the attack.

The other victims of the strike were identified as Shadi Sobhi Sharara and three of his children. The victims, originally from Bint Jbeil, were living in the Hosh region of the Sour district.

According to Lebanese army intelligence, the drone strike killed Hezbollah member Mohammad Mroueh on the motorcycle.

The latest deaths bring the total number of people killed by Israel since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement to around 308.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Sunday's massacre and called on the international community to press Israel to respect the ceasefire.

“While we are in New York discussing issues of peace and human rights, Israel continues its ongoing violations of international resolutions, and in particular the ceasefire agreement,” Aoun said.

The president is in New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“From New York, we call on the international community, whose leaders are in the halls of the United Nations, to make every effort to end violations of international resolutions, especially the countries guaranteeing the November 27, 2024, agreement,” Aoun added.

He further called on countries “to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory and abide by the agreement.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in a post on X, denounced the strike as a “deliberate crime against civilians.” 

“The guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement should exercise the strongest pressure on Israel to immediately stop its aggressions, withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, and free detainees,” he said.

Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad Hajjar also condemned the deadly Israeli strike in Bint Jbeil.

“This aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian laws and norms. May the martyrs rest in peace, and our condolences go to their families,” he stated.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said five people lost their lives under the gaze of the committee responsible for monitoring the ceasefire.

The attack coincided with a visit to Lebanon by US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who had traveled to the Naqoura region to attend a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee.

After nearly 14 months of war marked by heavy losses and the failure to achieve its objectives in the aggression against Lebanon, Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which came into effect on November 27, 2024.

Since then, Israeli forces have been carrying out attacks on Lebanon, which involve airstrikes, thus breaching the ceasefire.

On January 27, Lebanon announced its decision to extend the ceasefire with Israel until February 18.

Nonetheless, Israel maintains its occupation of five important locations in southern Lebanon, including Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all of which are located near the border.

Despite almost daily Israeli airstrikes and ongoing breaches of Lebanese airspace and sovereignty, Hezbollah continues to be the sole credible military entity capable of challenging the occupation and thwarting additional Israeli intrusions.

As demands from Washington and Israel to disarm the Lebanese resistance group intensify, numerous individuals within the Arab nation contend that such attempts overlook the fundamental problem of Israel's ongoing infringements on Lebanese sovereignty.

Source: Press TV