Four individuals, including a school principal, lost their lives in a strike carried out by Israel on a vehicle in southern Lebanon, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Monday. This incident marks one of the most deadly attacks in recent weeks, challenging a ceasefire that was declared last month and has notably reduced, though not eradicated, violence in southern Lebanon, a key battleground between Iran-aligned Hezbollah and Israel.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted a vehicle with four occupants who were approaching what it deems a “security zone” in southern Lebanon and posed a threat to its personnel. The victims were identified by the Health Ministry as Esperanza Ghandour, a school principal, her mother, a female domestic worker, and a male foreign laborer.
Ghandour, who had been overseeing repairs at her war-damaged residence in Nabatieh, was on her way back when the vehicle was hit, according to a local source and Lebanon’s state news agency. At Najdeh Hospital in Nabatieh, a health official mentioned that the staff heard the strike before the victims were brought in.
The strike took place in an area that local residents had considered safe from attacks, the official added. Israeli drone strikes have persisted post-ceasefire, albeit less frequently than before.
Israel has established a security zone that extends approximately 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon along the border, citing the need to shield northern Israeli communities from potential Hezbollah attacks. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces remain stationed in parts of the zone, while Lebanon contends that the Israeli presence violates its sovereignty.
For inhabitants of Nabatieh and neighboring towns, the strike shattered the fragile sense of security that had returned with the ceasefire. Ali Safa, 32, shared that his family had been compelled to flee southern Lebanon multiple times since the truce was announced in late June. The strike reignited fears and disruptions, prompting some businesses to close again and families to leave.
Lebanon has borne the brunt of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, initiated when Hezbollah supported Tehran on March 2, leading to Israeli military actions in southern Lebanon. The ceasefire was brokered by the United States and Qatar with Iranian participation. Tehran has pushed for a ceasefire in Lebanon within broader regional conflict resolution talks, while Israel has reduced its attacks in Lebanon at the request of Washington.
According to the Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have resulted in over 4,300 fatalities in Lebanon, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. On the Israeli side, at least 36 individuals, including 32 soldiers and four civilians, have lost their lives in the clashes, as per Israeli authorities.