• Victims of the Israeli attacks included 3 people collecting scrap from damaged buildings, and a former paramedic riding a motorcycle
• President Joseph Aoun says ‘Lebanese army controls more than 85% of the south after clearing it, in a military sense, as part of its commitments to the ceasefire’

Najia Houssari

BEIRUT: The Israeli military resumed drone strikes on targets in southern border areas of Lebanon on Thursday.

One such attack on a vehicle in Mays Al-Jabal killed three people collecting scrap from damaged buildings. The Lebanese Health Ministry said the two passengers in the vehicle were Syrian nationals. Hezbollah media outlets identified the driver as Lebanese citizen Izzat Karout.

Less than two hours later, another drone attack in the same area killed a motorcycle rider, said to be a former paramedic who had been injured in a previous Israeli raid. Mays Al-Jabal municipality gave his name as Oussama Bahij Farhat, a volunteer with Lebanese Civil Defense.

Citing a security source, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that the “second attack was carried out to target a Hezbollah member.”

Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect in November, deaths caused by Israeli attacks have continued to be daily occurrences, with more than 2,000 Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty recorded in the south of the country, Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in the east along the border with Syria.

Also on Thursday, intensive activity by Israeli reconnaissance planes in Lebanese airspace was observed, particularly in the skies over Beirut and its southern suburbs.

A political source told Arab News the latest activity was “proof that Israel has not responded to any diplomatic pressure aimed at halting its violations.”

The ceasefire agreement, mediated by the US and France, stipulated that Hezbollah must withdraw from border areas south of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure, allowing the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence there in coordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

Israeli forces, which carried out a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in October, withdrew following the peace deal but maintained a presence on five hills they describe as strategic locations.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who returned to Beirut on Thursday after an official visit to the UAE, said the “Lebanese army controls more than 85 percent of the south after clearing it, in a military sense, as part of its commitments to the ceasefire agreement.”

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Lebanon said Maj. Gen. Michael Leeney was joining the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, the international group set up to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, “as a full-time senior US military leader in Beirut.” His appointment continues the strong relationship between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the US military, it added.

Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, will continue to chair the mechanism while fulfilling his other duties as commander of US Special Operations Forces in the Levant, Gulf and Central Asia, the embassy said.

During meetings with Leeney, Lebanese officials were united in their calls for action to halt “Israel’s continued violations of the agreement.”

After a meeting with Lebanon’s army commander, Gen. Rodolf Haykal, MP Ghassan Skaff told Arab News: “About 90 percent of the area south of the Litani River is now free of Hezbollah facilities, and the army has gradually tightened its control over the area.

“The Lebanese army is counting on dialogue regarding the defense strategy to address the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River, and work is underway on this matter.

“The army command believes that the pressure being exerted on Israel is still insufficient to stop its violations. Israel’s continued violations are occurring with American support, and Israel no longer looks for justifications to bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs, for example.”

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, previously warned: “Residents of the Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts are still unable to return to their homes due to the massive destruction of infrastructure and property caused by the recent war.

“The humanitarian situation in southern Lebanon is extremely concerning and there is an urgent need to restore basic services.

“Temporary solutions are no longer sufficient as the humanitarian crisis worsens, and rapid action is required from the Lebanese state and the international community to rebuild and provide the essentials for a dignified life for the displaced and affected citizens.”