At least five people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanese villages on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.
The Israeli strikes targeted the villages of Yater, Shebaa, Al Kharayeb and Taybeh.
Israel said the attack on Yater killed a Hezbollah representative called Al Munim Musa Sweidan, while the strike on Shebaa took out a member of the Lebanese Resistance Brigades, which are linked to Hezbollah.
It said another of the strikes hit “a site used to manufacture equipment intended to support the rehabilitation of Hezbollah and advance terrorist attacks”.
Despite a ceasefire deal last year, Israel continues to occupy parts of south Lebanon as well as launching near-daily attacks on the country – including four attacks on its capital, Beirut.
The strikes followed Unifil condemnation of Israel for carrying out “one of the most serious attacks” in south Lebanon on peacekeepers since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was reached in November.
The peacekeeping force said Israeli drones dropped four grenades on Tuesday near members who were clearing roadblocks hindering access to a UN position close to the Blue Line.
“One grenade impacted within 20 metres and three within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles,” Unifil said. “The drones were observed returning south of the Blue Line” back into Israel.
Israel's military said on Wednesday that the attack was not intentional.
Israeli forces in southern Lebanon had “identified suspicious activity” and “deployed several [stun] grenades in the vicinity to disrupt and remove the potential threat”, a military statement said, stressing that “no intentional fire was directed at Unifil personnel”.
Unifil said work was suspended after the incident “out of concern for the safety of peacekeepers”.
“Any actions endangering UN peacekeepers and assets, and interference with their mandated tasks, are unacceptable and a serious violation of Resolution 1701 and international law,” Unifil said, referring to the Security Council resolution on which the ceasefire understanding is built.
No one was injured in the incident. It comes a week after the Security Council voted to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of next year after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the US and Israel.
Israeli attacks killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon during the war last year and destroyed vast areas of the country.
Under the terms of the truce, the Lebanese army was to increase its deployment in south Lebanon, taking over previous Hezbollah or Israeli positions, and oversee the removal of Hezbollah's weapons and any remnants of the war.
The Lebanese cabinet is expected to discuss a plan on Friday that would lead to Hezbollah handing over its weapons by the end of the year.
