Israeli strike kills two in southern Lebanon: health ministry

An Israeli strike on a vehicle in south Lebanon killed two people Monday, the health ministry said, nearly 11 months after increased violence between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and Israel.

The United Nations Force in Lebanon said one of those killed worked for a cleaning company contracted by UNIFIL.

Hamas ally Hezbollah has exchanged near daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces since the Palestinian group attacked Israel on October 7, triggering the war in Gaza.

"The Israeli enemy's strike targeting a car in Naqura left two dead," the health ministry said.

A spokeswoman for UNIFIL said "a vehicle driven by an employee of a cleaning company was targeted by a strike on the Tyre-Naqura road," adding that the company was contracted to the peacekeeping force.

"Attacks on civilians are violations of international humanitarian law. They must stop. Once more, we urge all actors to put down their weapons," she said.

A security source earlier told AFP on condition of anonymity that the two victims were "an employee of this company and his cousin, both from Naqura" on the border.

"The cousin, who lives in an African country, arrived in Lebanon two days ago," the source added.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel also reported that the two dead in Naqura were civilians. Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported a drone strike on the Naqura road, without elaborating.

There was no immediate Israeli comment about the attack.

Israel has said it targets military infrastructure and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon's south and east, while the Iran-backed movement says it is mainly targeting military positions in northern Israel.

On Monday, Hezbollah said it fired "salvos of Katyusha rockets" at northern Israel "in response to aggression by the Israeli enemy against villages in the south" of Lebanon, including Naqura.

More than 110,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon due to the cross-border fighting, according to the UN.

In Israel, authorities say around 100,000 people have been displaced in the country's north.

The violence since October has killed some 609 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but including at least 132 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.