Israeli Drone Strike Kills Family in Southern Lebanon, Including Three Children

BEIRUT – An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Sunday killed five people, including three children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Four of the victims—the three children and their father were reported to be US citizens.

The mother of the children was also injured in the attack.

This incident occurs despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November that was intended to end a months-long war between Israel and the Hezbollah group. According to the agreement, both sides were supposed to stop their attacks and withdraw forces from southern Lebanon. However, Israeli strikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon almost every day, and Israeli forces still occupy five hilltop points along the border.

Lebanese officials have warned that the continuous strikes threaten the country’s stability and recent efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah has stated that it no longer has a military presence south of the Litani River and will not discuss disarmament until Israel stops its attacks and withdraws from all Lebanese territory.

Leaders Condemn the Attack

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. “There is no peace above the blood of our children,” he said in a statement, calling on the international community to pressure Israel.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the strike as a “message of intimidation targeting our people returning to their villages in the south.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he urged the nations that sponsored the ceasefire to “exert maximum pressure on Israel to immediately halt its attacks.”

Both Aoun and Salam have supported a recent agreement to gradually disarm Hezbollah and other non-state groups in the country.

Hezbollah’s Response

Hezbollah officials argue that these ongoing strikes justify their refusal to give up their weapons. They claim the ceasefire agreement, which is monitored by the United States, France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces, has been ineffective.

“All these attacks and killings perpetrated by the enemy will not push our people to abandon their land and rights,” said Hezbollah parliamentarian Hassan Fadlallah. “They will only strengthen the people of the south’s adherence to the option of resistance.”

The earlier war between Israel and Hezbollah killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced many residents across the region.