Israeli Drone Strike Kills 4 Near Lebanon-Syria Border In Attack Targeting Palestinian Operatives

At least four people were killed after an Israel targeted a vehicle near Lebanon’s border with Syria, Lebanese authorities said, underlining continued hostilities along Israel’s northern front despite an existing truce.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone struck a car in the Majdal Anjar area close to the Lebanese-Syrian border on Sunday, according to AFP. Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed that four people died in the attack.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had targeted operatives belonging to the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.

According to Al Jazeera, the strike occurred early Monday and identified one of the dead as Syrian national Khaled Mohammad al-Ahmad, citing Lebanese media.

In a post on X, the Israeli military said the raid targeted members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Lebanon but did not release evidence supporting the claim.

First Claimed Strike On Islamic Jihad Since Ceasefire

AFP reported that the attack appeared to be the first strike publicly claimed by Israel in Lebanon against Islamic Jihad since a November 2024 ceasefire intended to end more than a year of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Despite the truce, Israel has carried out intermittent strikes in Lebanon, most often stating it was targeting Hezbollah fighters. At times, Palestinian factions allied with Hezbollah, including Hamas, have also been hit.

Fighters from Islamic Jihad were among those killed in Lebanon after clashes erupted in October 2023 in the wake of the Gaza war. During that period, both Islamic Jihad and Hamas claimed responsibility for attacks and attempted infiltrations launched from Lebanese territory.

Ceasefire Under Strain

More than 370 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect, according to an AFP tally based on figures from Lebanon’s health ministry.

Lebanon has taken steps aligned with the truce. The Lebanese army announced in January that it had completed the first phase of a government plan aimed at disarming Hezbollah in areas near the Israeli border.

Some Palestinian factions operating in refugee camps handed over weapons to Lebanese authorities last year. However, neither Hamas nor Islamic Jihad has indicated plans to disarm.

The latest strike comes amid the long-running Israel-Palestinian conflict, which has repeatedly spilled into neighboring Lebanon.

Regional tensions remain closely connected to unresolved disputes over Palestinian statehood and Israeli control of territories captured during the 1967 Middle East war.

The internationally backed vision of a two-state solution has faced increasing obstacles amid ongoing violence and political divisions. According to Reuters, major challenges include the expansion of Jewish settlements, disagreements over borders, the status of Palestinian refugees and the future of Jerusalem.

The conflict traces its roots to competing nationalist claims in British-ruled Palestine and subsequent wars following Israel’s establishment in 1948.

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