Tensions sharply escalated across southern Lebanon on Friday as Israeli drone and warplanes struck target in the Nabatiyeh and Bint Jbeil districts, leaving several casualties.
In one incident, an Israeli drone launched a guided missile at a motorcycle in Talat Shukain, in the Nabatieh caza, killing the driver instantly. Ambulances rushed to the scene following the explosion. According to Al Arabiya, the person killed in the attack was a member of Hezbollah.
In addition, an Israeli fighter jet struck a building near the entrance to the industrial zone on Nabih Berri Road in Kfarraman. The missile hit the roof, causing a powerful blast that shook the area and triggered panic, though no injuries were reported. The region also witnessed intense drone activity throughout the day.
Earlier on Friday, another drone targeted a motorcycle in the town of Kounine, resulting in one death and one injury, according to the Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center. Residents also reported two Israeli “Hermes” drones flying at low altitude over the towns of Bint Jbeil, Aynatha, Kounine, and Shakra.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed the strike in Kunin, claiming that Israeli forces “eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in southern Lebanon.” Adraee identified the target as Ibrahim Muhammad Raslan, described as a maintenance officer in Hezbollah who was allegedly involved in rebuilding the group’s military infrastructure. He said Raslan’s activities “posed a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens and violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
Separately, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Lebanese Army (LAF) under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
In a statement on X, UNIFIL said that its peacekeepers “conduct daily patrols with the Lebanese Army to help restore security and stability,” emphasizing that such cooperation is “essential to support the army in extending state authority in southern Lebanon.”
UNIFIL’s statement came shortly after remarks by President Joseph Aoun, who reiterated that the LAF remains “the only guarantee for protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring its defense.” During a meeting at Baabda Palace with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Aoun said Lebanon is “ready to engage in negotiations to end the Israeli occupation,” but stressed that “no negotiation can be one-sided; it requires mutual will, which is not yet available.”
Comments