Lebanon says Israeli strike kills five in south

Israel struck south Lebanon yesterday, killing five people according to the Lebanese health ministry, with the Israeli military saying it targeted a Hezbollah weapons truck.
The air strike further strained a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the fighter group, which came into effect on November 27.
The Lebanese state-run National News Agency said “an Israeli drone targeted a car in Tayr Dibba”, a village near the coastal city of Tyre some 20 kilometres from the Israeli border.
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that a rocket launcher was hit and several munitions had exploded.
The Israeli military said it struck a truck carrying weapons.
“Several fighters were identified loading a truck with weapons used by the Hezbollah organisation in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement.
The strike came with little more than a fortnight left to complete the implementation of the November ceasefire, which both sides have accused each other of violating. The military statement said it was operating “in accordance with the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon”.
Under the terms of the deal, Hezbollah is to dismantle its remaining military infrastructure in the south and pull its forces back north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometres from the border.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon accused Israel on Saturday of a “flagrant violation” of the Security Council resolution which forms the basis of the ceasefire.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned that the group’s patience with Israeli violations could run out before the January 26 implementation deadline.