Two people were killed when an Israeli drone struck a minibus on Hosh al‑Sayyed Ali road in the Hermel district of eastern Lebanon, Lebanon’s NNA reported. Israel said the strike targeted a "terrorist operative" in al‑Nasiriyah; a separate drone strike wounded a passerby in Jennata. UN figures report more than 300 deaths in Lebanon since the November 2024 ceasefire, including around 127 civilians, while ACLED recorded nearly 1,600 strikes between January and late November. Diplomatic talks brokered by the US continue even as displacement and tensions persist.
Two Killed in Israeli Drone Strike on Minibus in Eastern Lebanon
Israeli attacks continue against the backdrop of US-brokered diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon [File: Aziz Taher/Reuters]
Two people were killed when an Israeli drone struck a minibus on Hosh al‑Sayyed Ali road in the Hermel district of eastern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanon’s state news agency (NNA) reported.
An Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted on X that the strike targeted a "terrorist operative" in al‑Nasiriyah in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli statement came hours after a passerby was wounded in a separate drone strike on a car in Jennata in the Tyre district late on Wednesday.
Context
Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross‑border exchanges linked to the wider war in Gaza. Despite the ceasefire, near‑daily violations have continued, with frequent Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon.
Casualties and Strikes
According to the United Nations, more than 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire, including roughly 127 civilians. Data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) indicate Israeli forces carried out nearly 1,600 strikes across Lebanon between January and late November.
Political and Military Fallout
Israel says its strikes aim to target Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure and has called for the group's disarmament under the terms of the ceasefire. Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected disarmament, arguing its weapons are needed to defend Lebanon from Israeli attacks and occupation. In a statement this week the group urged Lebanese authorities to resist what it described as Israeli demands to weaken Lebanon's armed resistance.
"The authorities in Lebanon must act decisively and avoid slipping into implementing conditions imposed by the enemy to humiliate our army and people and violate our sovereignty," Hezbollah said.
The Lebanese government says it is close to completing the disarmament of the group in the south of the Litani River ahead of a year‑end deadline. Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces were also expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January; however, they have only partially pulled back and retain positions at five border outposts.
Humanitarian Situation
More than 64,000 people—mostly from southern Lebanon—remain displaced, the UN reports. The Lebanese presidency has said enabling displaced civilians to return to their homes is "an entry point for addressing all other details" of the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli strikes have continued amid US‑brokered diplomatic talks: civilian and military delegations from Israel and Lebanon held closed‑door discussions in Naqoura last Friday. The latest attacks underscore ongoing tensions and the fragile nature of the ceasefire, with humanitarian and political consequences for civilians across southern and eastern Lebanon.
