Deadly Israeli strikes hit south Lebanon as Hezbollah rejects disarmament
Israeli drone attacks killed three people in the southern towns of Jwaya, Safad al-Battikh, and YaterAt least three people were killed in southern Lebanon on 14 December in violent Israeli drone attacks targeting multiple villages, one day after Hezbollah’s Secretary-General vowed that the resistance would not surrender its arms.
An Israeli drone struck a car in the town of Jwaya on Sunday afternoon, destroying the vehicle. One person, a municipal worker from the town named Zakaria al-Hajj, was killed in the attack.
Earlier, one person was killed in a strike on a car in Safad al-Battikh, Bint Jbeil. Before that, the Israeli army bombed a motorbike in the town of Yater, killing one and injuring another.
Israel claimed all three were Hezbollah “terrorists.”
“The terrorists were engaged in attempts to rehabilitate the infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and their actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
In the town of Yanouh, residents returned on Sunday to a residential building that was threatened by Israel the day before.
Tel Aviv demanded, via the US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism, that the Lebanese army search the building for Hezbollah weapons. Nothing was found.
The deadly attacks across the south come one day after Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem vowed that the group will not surrender its weapons despite pressure and threats.
"We will defend ourselves even if the sky were to close in on the earth. The weapons will not be taken away in implementation of Israel’s demands, even if the whole world unites against Lebanon," Qassem said in a speech on 13 December.
In the past two months, Israel has significantly escalated its violations of the Lebanon ceasefire, claiming the resistance movement has rearmed itself.
Dozens of Lebanese have been killed since the start of last month alone. Since the ceasefire deal went into effect in November 2024, over 300 people have been killed – including scores of civilians and children.
Israel has threatened to launch a major offensive against the country unless Hezbollah surrenders its weapons by the end of 2025. Washington has publicly backed Tel Aviv’s threats.