Beirut, Lebanon – An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon has killed one person and wounded another, Lebanon’s public health ministry said, as Israel carried out cross-border attacks in violation of a ceasefire.
The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the car was hit by an “Israeli enemy attack” in the town of Burj Rahal in the southern district of Tyre.
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“The attack left one civilian martyred and another injured,” the statement read, without identifying the dead.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the attack happened near a school, causing panic among students and prompting parents to rush to collect their children amid scenes of fear and chaos.
A ceasefire under tension
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, which were the latest in a His series of attacks in South Lebanon despite the signing of a cease-fire on November 27, 2024.
Israeli forces are stationed in at least five areas of southern Lebanon as they carry out near-daily airstrikes that Israel says target Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.
Two were killed and seven injured on Monday Independent attacks in southern Lebanon. A day earlier, four people were killed in an Israeli raid in Nabatih, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Inside Lebanon, the continued bombing has raised fears of renewed war, as Israeli and United States officials pressure the Lebanese government to force Hezbollah to disarm.
Israeli military intelligence has claimed in recent days that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its military capabilities. A Hezbollah spokesman denied reports of expanded military activity or efforts to restore its elite units.
“Israel makes up stories and claims to justify its attacks,” the spokesman told Lebanon’s L’Orient Today newspaper on Monday.
Hezbollah was severely weakened after an Israeli surge in September 2024, which killed its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Since the November ceasefire, the group has responded to Israeli attacks only once.
Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said the group will not disarm, saying that giving up its weapons would risk an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.
Baalbek is still under fire
Nearly a year after Israel’s massive bombing campaign in Lebanon, residents of the eastern Bekaa Valley say they are still living under constant Israeli threats.
Baalbek, a city known for its Roman ruins and considered a Hezbollah heartland, continues to be hit by Israeli strikes targeting what the Israeli military describes as Hezbollah’s “logistical and operational base.”
But many civilians live under constant bombardment.
“What is happening now is nothing less than a war. It is a war,” Baalbek resident Abu Ali told Al Jazeera. “There is a lot of talk about targeting Baalbek, and it is scaring people,” added Ali Choker, another resident.
Much of the Bekaa region has been scarred by Israeli attacks over the past year, one of Lebanon’s poorest areas struggling to rebuild.
Pressure on Lebanon to negotiate
As Israeli and US officials press for Hezbollah’s disarmament, US Ambassador Tom Barrack urged the armed group to open dialogue with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that the military “will act as necessary” if Lebanon fails to hand over weapons to Hezbollah.
“We expect the Lebanese government to fulfill its commitment – to disarm Hezbollah – but it is clear that we will exercise our right of self-defense under the terms of the ceasefire,” he said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said the country has no choice but to negotiate with Israel. Avoid extensive conflict. But many in Baalbek and southern Lebanon have opposed any talks that would lead to the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Hussein Osman, who runs a restaurant in Baalbek, refused to flee when Israeli forces ordered residents to leave during last year’s war. Like many supporters of Hezbollah, he questions Lebanon’s decision to negotiate with Israel, which has been attacking the region almost daily.
“We will support any negotiation that works to the benefit of the resistance,” he said. “But no negotiations involving resistance disarmament are accepted … these weapons protect us and allow us to stay in our homes.”