Israeli strike kills children

Beirut (dpa) — An Israeli drone strike killed five people, including three children, in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil on Sunday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that a drone fired two rockets at a motorcycle and a vehicle in the town near the Israeli border. Two others were wounded.

An Israeli military spokesman said the strike targeted a Hezbollah member who was “eliminated” while operating in a civilian area in violation of a ceasefire agreement.

The spokeman acknowledged that civilians were killed, saying the army regretted this and does everything possible to avoid harming them.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and called the incident a “new massacre” in Bint Jbeil.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Amal Movement and a close Hezbollah ally, condemned the strike and said US citizens were among the dead. The children’s mother was injured, he added.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has been in place since late November, though both sides regularly accuse each other of breaches. Israel continues near-daily operations in Lebanon. The agreement requires Hezbollah to remain north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres from the Israeli border. Bint Jbeil lies well south of the river and close to the frontier.