UPDATE - Israeli airstrike kills 1 in southern Lebanon

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, CHANGES DECK, EDITS THROUGH

By Ikram Kouachi and Rania Abu Shamala

ANKARA/ISTANBUL(AA) – An Israeli airstrike killed one person in southern Lebanon on Saturday, in a new violation of a ceasefire agreement, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said that the fatality occurred when an Israeli aircraft hit a house in the town of Khiam.

The state news agency NNA confirmed the attack, but did not provide details about the identity of the victim.

The Israeli army claimed that the attack targeted an operative in Hezbollah’s anti-tank unit.

Israel launched an assault on Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023 that escalated into a full-scale war by Sept. 23, 2024. The conflict has killed more than 4,000 people, wounded over 17,000, and displaced nearly 1.4 million, according to official data.

Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah’s activities despite a November ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The truce ended months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group.

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 231 people and injuries to more than 500 since the agreement was signed.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.