Israel Kills Two in Lebanon Drone Strike Amid Fragile US-Brokered Ceasefire Talks

While diplomats talk peace, drones strike targets. An Israeli drone strike has killed two people in eastern Lebanon, a deadly reminder of the ongoing violence that overshadows US-brokered diplomatic talks aimed at enforcing a fragile year-old ceasefire.

Ceasefire Under Fire

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the drone hit a minibus on Thursday in the Hermel district. The Israeli military claimed on X that the strike targeted a “terrorist operative.” The attack came just hours after a separate drone strike injured a passerby in the southern town of Jennata late Wednesday.

These are the latest in a series of near-daily attacks by Israel since a ceasefire was reached with the Lebanese group Hezbollah in November 2024. According to the United Nations, Israel has killed more than 300 people in Lebanon since the truce, including about 127 civilians. Data from ACLED shows Israeli forces carried out nearly 1,600 strikes across Lebanon between January and late November.

The Disarmament Standoff

At the heart of the conflict is the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament. Israel justifies its air raids by demanding the group’s full disarmament as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. Hezbollah has rejected these calls, arguing its weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon from Israeli attacks.

The Lebanese government claims it’s close to completing the first phase of disarmament south of the Litani River before a year-end deadline. However, progress is stymied by Israel’s own non-compliance. Israeli forces, which were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January, have only partially pulled out and maintain a military presence at five border outposts. More than 64,000 people, mostly from the south, remain displaced.