One killed in 'Israeli' strike targeting southern Lebanon

At least one person was killed Thursday in an ’Israeli’ drone strike targeting a motorcycle in southern Lebanon, marking a new military escalation as the French special envoy visited Beirut for talks on de-escalation.

Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed in a statement that “an Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle on the Ain Baal–Bazourieh road in the Tyre district, killing one person.”

The attack extended beyond Tyre, with the National News Agency reporting ‘Israeli’ strikes on the town of Zrariyeh in the south and in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, violating a ceasefire agreement signed last November countless times. 

Read more: 'Israeli' forces strike alleged Hezbollah weapons sites in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

The ‘Israeli’ military claimed responsibility and said it had targeted “infrastructure within a site used for producing and storing strategic weapons for Hezbollah” in the Bekaa, as well as “infrastructure” in Zrariyeh, vowing to continue operations “to remove any threat.”

The strikes came as French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian held talks in Beirut with senior Lebanese officials.

President Joseph Aoun told Le Drian in a statement that “any French or US pressure on ‘Israel’ to halt its hostile actions would help the army implement its security plan to disarm Hezbollah in the south.”

In August, the Lebanese government tasked the army with preparing a plan to enforce Hezbollah’s disarmament in southern Lebanon by year’s end, in line with a ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington and Paris.

Despite the deal, which stipulated ‘Israeli’ withdrawal and an end to hostilities, ‘Israel’ continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon and carry out near-daily strikes it claims target Hezbollah sites and commanders.