Lebanon Ministry Says Two Dead in Israeli Strike on South

28 March 2025, Lebanon, Khiam: Heavy smoke billows from areas that were bombed by Israeli Forces in the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam. (dpa)
28 March 2025, Lebanon, Khiam: Heavy smoke billows from areas that were bombed by Israeli Forces in the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam. (dpa)
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Lebanon Ministry Says Two Dead in Israeli Strike on South

28 March 2025, Lebanon, Khiam: Heavy smoke billows from areas that were bombed by Israeli Forces in the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam. (dpa)
28 March 2025, Lebanon, Khiam: Heavy smoke billows from areas that were bombed by Israeli Forces in the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam. (dpa)

Lebanon's health ministry said two people were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike on the country's south, as Israel said it hit Hezbollah operatives amid a fragile truce.

The toll in the "strike launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Zibqin rose to two dead", the health ministry said in a statement, adding that the toll was final after earlier reporting one dead.

The Israeli military said it carried out an air strike targeting two Hezbollah operatives in the Zibqin area, adding in a statement that they were "attempting to rebuild Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites".

A fragile ceasefire in late November largely halted more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, but Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon.

The latest raid came after visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus discussed the situation in south Lebanon with senior officials on Saturday.

On Friday, Israel killed a commander of Palestinian group Hamas in a pre-dawn raid in the south Lebanese port city of Sidon that also killed his adult son and daughter.

A day earlier, Israel's military said it carried out an air strike targeting a Hezbollah member in south Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Israel struck south Beirut, killing a Hezbollah Palestinian liaison officer, in only the second raid on the capital since the November 27 ceasefire.

Lebanon's health ministry reported four dead in that strike, including a woman.

Under the truce, Hezbollah was to redeploy its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Israel was to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic".



Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Building in Beirut Southern Suburbs Struck After Israeli Warning

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A building in Beirut’s southern suburbs known as Dahieh was struck on Sunday almost an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the area.

The Israeli army's spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, earlier said on X that residents should evacuate several buildings in the Hadath neighborhood and move "at least 300 meters away.”

Residents reported hearing gunfire across the area, which they said they believed was intended to warn people to leave, as well as seeing a massive traffic jam on roads leading from the area.

"To everyone located in the building marked in red on the attached map, and the surrounding buildings: you are near facilities belonging to Hezbollah," Adraee wrote in a post that included a map of the potential targets.

The Israeli army said the building was being used to store precision missiles belonging to Hezbollah.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Hezbollah's precision missiles "posed a significant threat to the State of Israel."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement struck in November, to compel Israel to stop its attacks.
"Israel's continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability," he said in a statement.

Earlier this month an Israeli airstrike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official, in Beirut's southern suburbs -the second Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital in five days.