Hezbollah member killed in Israeli airstrike on S. Lebanon
Beirut/Jerusalem, May 13 (UNI) An Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah member riding a motorcycle in the southern Lebanese village of Houla on Tuesday, according to Lebanese security and official sources, as tensions persist along the Israel-Lebanon border despite a ceasefire.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said the strike, carried out by a "hostile drone," targeted a motorcycle near a care center in Houla. The Health Ministry later confirmed one person was killed in the attack.
A Lebanese security source, who requested anonymity, told Xinhua that the victim was Moussa Aboud, a Hezbollah member from Houla in the Marjayoun district.
Also on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried out two additional airstrikes on Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. One target was in Houla, while the second was near Beaufort Ridge, where the IDF said it struck a "Hezbollah military site used for both firing and defensive operations."
The IDF said the site near Beaufort Ridge had previously been hit last week, adding that its reconstruction constituted "a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
The cross-border strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached on Nov. 27, 2024, intended to halt more than a year of hostilities tied to the war in Gaza. The truce, mediated by the U.S. and France, had largely held, though sporadic flare-ups have continued.
Israel has said its strikes are intended to neutralize Hezbollah threats. However, the Lebanese government and several Arab states have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement. Despite the truce's provision requiring a full Israeli withdrawal, Israeli forces continue to hold several strategically important positions in southern Lebanon.
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