Israeli drone strike in Lebanon kills Hezbollah terrorist

The incident comes a day after the deadline for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory per the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Jerusalem and Beirut that went into effect on Nov. 27.

By JNS

An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in Ayta al-Shaab in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed an armed Hezbollah terrorist operative, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.

“Earlier today, an Air Force aircraft operated to eliminate a threat and eliminated a Hezbollah military operative in the Ayta al-Shaab area in Southern Lebanon who was seen handling weapons,” the IDF stated.

The Israeli army “continues to act to remove any threat in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” it added.

The incident comes a day after the deadline for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory per the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Jerusalem and Beirut that went into effect on Nov. 27.

On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces Northern Command confirmed that troops would remain deployed at five strategic outposts in Southern Lebanon.

The IDF will continue to act against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon “at full strength,” tweeted Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday morning.

“We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7,” Katz declared, referring to the 2023 Hamas-led massacre in Israel’s south.

“Starting today, the IDF will remain in the buffer zone in Lebanon at five control posts along the border line, to ensure the protection of the northern communities,” he continued.

Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported that the withdrawal from the rest of Southern Lebanon was completed ahead of the midnight deadline.

IDF officials told the outlet overnight that “the challenge is to preserve the [military] achievements and prevent Hezbollah from returning.”

The IAF on Sunday evening conducted strikes on multiple Hezbollah sites in Lebanon housing rocket launchers and weapons, according to the Israeli military.

An IAF strike in Southern Lebanon on Saturday night killed Hezbollah operative Abbas Ahmad Hamoud, who according to the Israeli military was responsible for overseeing the Iranian-backed terror group’s aerial force.

Israel’s Army Radio reported on Monday that three instances of Hezbollah reconnaissance drones crossing into Israel in recent weeks were not disclosed to the public.

According to the report, five surveillance drones were launched toward Israel from Lebanon, four of which managed to penetrate its airspace. However, only one UAV infiltration was publicly reported.

According to the IDF, the other incidents were only confirmed to be real “following an intelligence probe, and after about a week had passed.”

“The IDF reported every incident to the public when it was detected, in real time. The [security] systems identified dozens of incidents that turned out to be false,” the military told Army Radio.

It was not immediately clear why the IDF did not report on the three successful drone infiltrations.