ALBAWABA- An Israeli drone strike killed two Lebanese brothers on Monday in the town of al-Bayyad, southern Lebanon, the latest in a series of attacks threatening the fragile November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the victims, aged 25 and 30, died when their family’s carpentry workshop was struck in the Tyre district.
The state-run National News Agency said the blast sparked secondary explosions, leaving rescuers to sift through debris. The attack raises the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon this month to at least 27, including 13 since early October, according to ministry data.
The strike followed Israel’s claim over the weekend that it had assassinated Zayn al-Abidin Hussein Fatouni, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, during a drone attack near Jibchit.
The Israeli army said Fatouni had directed anti-tank operations against northern Israel. Two other Hezbollah members were reportedly killed in related raids.
In a televised address on Sunday marking his first year as acting Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem accused Israel of “systematic truce violations” and vowed continued resistance. “We stand ready to confront Israel, defend Lebanon, and support Gaza,” he said, framing Hezbollah’s actions as part of a broader “strategic project.” His remarks came amid growing concern that repeated Israeli strikes could reignite full-scale conflict.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which ended 14 months of cross-border clashes, required Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025 and Hezbollah to redeploy north of the Litani River.
However, Israel has continued to carry out what it calls “precision operations” targeting alleged Hezbollah weapons transfers and rebuilding efforts.
Monday’s attack coincided with the arrival of U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut for meetings with Lebanese officials and participants in the ceasefire monitoring mechanism involving Lebanon, Israel, the U.S., and France. Her visit comes amid escalating violations, with analysts warning that the ceasefire could soon unravel without renewed diplomatic pressure.
