Israeli Drone Strike Kills Two Near Kfar Reman As Israel Targets Yater Outskirts

An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed at least two people on Wednesday, even as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah had quieted down in recent days after demands by the United States and Iran for a ceasefire.

“An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon has killed at least two people despite fighting between Israel and Hezbollah quieting down in recent days after demands by both the United States and Iran for a ceasefire”

Al Jazeera

The attack targeted a vehicle on the Tallat al-Dabsha road near Kfar Reman in the Nabatieh district, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, and Israel’s military later said it “struck” two people who crossed a “security zone” in the area.

Al Jazeera

Soon after, Israel’s military targeted the outskirts of the town of Yater in the Bint Jbeil area with artillery shells, with NNA adding that the Israeli army claimed it was targeting Hezbollah operatives on Wednesday.

While Lebanese politicians affirmed it is essential that Israeli troops leave Lebanese territory and cease their attacks for the ceasefire to hold, Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett said from the Lebanese town of Tyre that “What we are seeing is a reduction, but not a cessation, of Israeli military activity here in southern Lebanon.”

At the same time, officials from Israel and Lebanon met in the US for another round of talks aimed at ending fighting between the neighbouring countries, with NNA reporting that the second day of the fifth round of negotiations in Washington concluded at approximately 20:00 GMT.

In the first fatal incident reported since the latest ceasefire appeared to take hold at the weekend, Israeli troops shot dead two people in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, after the men were standing near a bulldozer unblocking a road in Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

The BBC reported that Hezbollah condemned the shooting as "a blatant violation of the ceasefire", while Israel’s military said soldiers in the Ali al-Taher ridge area fired at “four Hezbollah terrorists riding a bulldozer and a motorcycle” who posed a threat.

All Israel News

Hezbollah’s military wing, the Islamic Resistance, said in a statement: "What the enemy has committed constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire, which the Resistance has adhered to up to this point".

In Washington, Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan said the latest round of talks is expected to include a military-to-military component, including a proposal to allow Lebanese forces to replace those Israeli forces if vetted by the United States as having no links to Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “the only reason Israel is in Lebanon is because Hezbollah launches rockets and drones from there,” framing the dispute over withdrawal around Hezbollah’s actions.

A US-backed proposal discussed by Israeli and Lebanese officials would see the Lebanese Armed Forces take control of portions of southern Lebanon currently held by Israeli troops, with Lebanese soldiers receiving US training and oversight aimed at ensuring they have no ties to Hezbollah.

i24NEWS said the talks were expected to include detailed discussions on Wednesday about areas that could be included in a pilot program, while a senior Lebanese security official confirmed that talks on this subject were underway.

Even if implemented, Israel would continue to maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the frontier, which it says is necessary to protect northern communities from potential Hezbollah attacks.

The initiative faces significant political obstacles, with Hezbollah rejecting the diplomatic track and the discussions being influenced by parallel negotiations between the United States and Iran, where developments in Lebanon have emerged as a key issue.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz also signaled that troops would not withdraw, saying the military will not withdraw from Lebanon “even if there is an American demand,” and adding that “200,000 residents will not return,” as talks in Washington continued.