Lebanon reported that four individuals were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday near the Syrian border in the eastern part of the country. Israel stated that the strike targeted members of the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad.
Despite a ceasefire in November 2024 aimed at ending over a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to conduct regular strikes on Lebanon. These strikes are often said to be directed at the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, but at times also target its Palestinian partner, Hamas.
This incident seems to be the first time Israel has acknowledged targeting Islamic Jihad in Lebanon since the ceasefire was established. The state-run National News Agency mentioned that an Israeli drone attacked a vehicle on the Lebanese-Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.
The health ministry of Lebanon confirmed the casualties in an official statement. The Israeli military, in its response, claimed to have targeted “Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the Majdal Anjar area.”
During the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began in October 2023 due to the Gaza war, fighters from Islamic Jihad were among those killed in Lebanon. Both the Palestinian group and Hamas asserted responsibility for some attacks and infiltration attempts originating from Lebanon during the conflict.
Since the ceasefire, more than 370 individuals have lost their lives due to Israeli actions in Lebanon, as reported by the health ministry data compiled by AFP.
To comply with the terms of the 2024 ceasefire, the Lebanese army announced the completion of the initial phase of a government initiative to disarm Hezbollah in the region close to the Israeli border earlier this year. Several Palestinian factions in Lebanon surrendered weapons in various refugee camps to the Lebanese authorities as part of the government’s efforts to disarm non-state groups last year.
However, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have not indicated any intentions to disarm within Lebanon.