Three members of Hezbollah were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a car in south Lebanon on Saturday, according to a security source, in increasing cross-border clashes between the Iran-supported group and Israel over the past five months.
Hezbollah has been staging near-daily attacks from Lebanon into north Israel in support of Hamas while Israel has been striking south Lebanon since the beginning of the Hamas war on October 7.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said an enemy drone targeted a car on Saturday morning on the road to Naqura, a town on the coast near the border with Israel.
Images taken by an AFP correspondent depicted a burnt-out car on a coastal road.
The Israeli military said in a statement its aircraft targeted a vehicle in south Lebanon transporting “terrorists who launched rockets into Israeli territory.”
Hezbollah said its members carried out a drone attack against an Israeli military post prior to the strike.
Cross-border clashes have stoked concern that an all-out conflict could be ignited between Hezbollah and Israel, which last occurred in 2006.
Hezbollah announced the death of four members following an Israeli strike on Friday night that hit a home in south Lebanon’s area of Ramia. Israel said it targeted Hezbollah “military” buildings in the region.
The clashes have resulted in the displacement of thousands on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border and killed at least 296 people in Lebanon, the majority Hezbollah members but including 46 civilians.
Ten Israeli soldiers and six civilians have been killed in Israel.
Hezbollah has said it will stop fighting when Israel ends its Gaza offensive. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said Israel will not cease to attack Hezbollah even if a hostage deal breaks through.
