2 civilians killed in Israeli strike on agricultural equipment in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese army announced on Sunday evening that two Lebanese civilians were killed when Israel targeted a bulldozer during land reclamation work near Zibqin, a town in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.
The army also dismissed Israel’s claims of striking military assets linked to Hezbollah.
In a statement, the Lebanese army said: “Amid repeated Israeli enemy attacks, a bulldozer and excavator were targeted during land reclamation efforts near Zibqin, leading to the martyrdom of two citizens.”
It confirmed that “no military assets were present at the site,” rejecting Israeli military claims of targeting Hezbollah members.
Earlier Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed on X that “an air force plane struck two Hezbollah operatives working with an engineering vehicle in the Zibqin area,” claiming that they were “attempting to rebuild terrorist infrastructure linked to Hezbollah.”
A fragile ceasefire had been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.
Lebanese authorities reported more than 1,385 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including at least 119 fatalities and more than 366 injuries.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after it refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.
