Tue Apr 15 14:51:01 UTC 2025: ## Israel’s Latest Strike in Lebanon Kills One, Reignites Tensions
**BEIRUT, Lebanon** – A new Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon has killed one person and injured three, escalating tensions in the region just months after a ceasefire ended a protracted conflict. The attack, which targeted a car in the town of Aitaroun on Tuesday, follows a recent pattern of Israeli military actions in Lebanon despite a November 27 ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli military claimed the strike killed a Hezbollah “special operations unit squad commander,” while Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed the civilian casualties, including a child.
This latest incident comes as the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that at least 71 Lebanese civilians, including 14 women and nine children, have been killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire. The OHCHR spokesperson, Thameen Al-Kheetan, expressed deep concern over these civilian deaths and called for investigations into each incident. The OHCHR also highlighted Israeli strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, including a medical center.
While the Israeli military claims to have been responding to rocket and mortar fire from Lebanon, the OHCHR and others express alarm over the continued escalation. The ongoing Israeli strikes, including attacks on Beirut, are violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from south of the Litani River and the dismantling of their military infrastructure in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. While the Lebanese army has been deploying in the south, Israel maintains five fortified positions it claims are “strategic.”
Despite the ongoing tensions, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has reported progress in the Lebanese army’s disarmament efforts in southern Lebanon, and a senior Hezbollah official indicated a willingness to discuss the group’s weapons if Israel fully withdraws and ceases its attacks. The UN has urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire and de-escalate the situation to prevent further instability in the region.
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