Three people were killed on Thursday in Israeli strikes in eastern and southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities, as Israel said it had targeted a member of Iran’s elite Quds Force and a Hezbollah operative. The attacks came despite a ceasefire agreed in November 2024 that was meant to halt more than a year of cross-border hostilities.
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Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike hit a vehicle in the town of Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali in the Hermel district, near the Syrian border, killing two people. The area lies in northeast Lebanon and has previously been targeted amid regional tensions linked to the war in Gaza.
Later, the ministry reported that another Israeli strike in Majdal Selm, in southern Lebanon, killed one person. The strike occurred close to the border with Israel, where sporadic incidents have continued despite the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli military said it had killed Hussein Mahmud Marshad al-Jawhari, whom it described as “a key fighter in the operational unit of the Quds Force,” the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the military, al-Jawhari was involved in attacks against Israel and its forces, directed by Iran, from both Lebanon and Syria.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it also killed a Hezbollah operative in the area near Majdal Selm. Hezbollah has not immediately commented on the incident.
Although the November 2024 ceasefire was intended to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon. It has also maintained troops in five areas it considers strategically important, arguing that these measures are necessary for its security.
Read More: Israel strikes South Lebanon despite ceasefire talks
Under strong pressure from the United States and amid fears of a broader escalation, Lebanon has pledged to move toward disarming Hezbollah, beginning in the south of the country. The continued strikes, however, underline the fragility of the ceasefire and the ongoing risk of renewed wider conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.