Israeli Drone strike Kills Three Civilians, Including 4-Year-Old Child, in South Lebanon
Occupation Escalates with Deadly Strike in Yanouh as Ground Forces Abduct Islamic Group Official in Hasbaya–Marjeyoun
Lebanon | PUREWILAYAH.COM — The Israeli occupation intensified its aggression against southern Lebanon on Monday, killing three civilians—among them a four-year-old child—in a drone strike on the town of Yanouh, while separate ground forces infiltrated Lebanese territory to abduct a senior Islamic Group official from his home in the Hasbaya–Marjeyoun region.
Deadly Drone Strike on Yanouh Vehicle
An Israeli airstrike targeted a civilian vehicle in Yanouh, in the Tyre District of southern Lebanon, resulting in the martyrdom of three people, according to field reporting by Al Mayadeen’s correspondent.
Among the victims were Ali Hassan Jaber, a four-year-old child, and his father Hassan Jaber, both killed instantly when the drone strike hit as their vehicle passed near the targeted area. The third martyr was Ahmad Salameh, a retired Lebanese Army soldier.
The strike drew widespread outrage across Lebanon, adding to a growing record of civilian deaths since the 2024 ceasefire. Families and local officials condemned the attack as another episode in a pattern of lethal Israeli violations that have repeatedly claimed non-combatant lives in the south.
Pattern of Civilian Harm Since the Ceasefire
Lebanese sources note that Israeli strikes have killed dozens of civilians since the ceasefire, with repeated attacks shattering families and communities. The Yanouh strike revived painful memories of earlier massacres, including deadly incidents in Bint Jbeil and other southern towns over the past two years.
Local voices stressed that the targeting of a civilian vehicle—killing a child and his father—underscores the occupation’s continued reliance on aerial force with total impunity, absent any accountability.
Ground Infiltration and Abduction in Hasbaya–Marjeyoun
In a separate escalation, Israeli occupation forces carried out a ground infiltration into the town of Al-Habbariyya, in the Hasbaya–Marjeyoun district, abducting Atwi Atwi, a regional official of the Islamic Lebanese Group (al-Jama‘a al-Islamiyya), from his home.
Local accounts indicate the raid occurred under cover of darkness, far from any immediate border confrontation. An Israeli unit stormed the residence, assaulted Atwi and his wife, restrained and blindfolded his wife, and withdrew with Atwi to an unknown location. Witnesses reported accompanying drone and helicopter activity during the operation.
The incursion proceeded without any response from Lebanese security forces, highlighting what residents described as a widening security vacuum exploited by the occupation as its violations expand from aerial strikes to on-the-ground raids.
Islamic Group Condemns Abduction and Demands Accountability
The Islamic Group in Lebanon issued a statement through its Central Media Office condemning the abduction as a “criminal infiltration” and holding Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for Atwi’s safety.
The statement described the kidnapping as part of a broader campaign of daily violations aimed at terrorizing residents and forcing displacement from southern villages. It questioned whether the raid was timed as a response to the Lebanese prime minister’s recent visit to the south and to local affirmations of commitment to the Lebanese state.
The group called on the Lebanese authorities to act decisively to halt Israeli violations, secure the release of Atwi and all detainees, and fulfill the state’s duty to protect civilians remaining steadfast in their towns and villages.
Taken together, the lethal drone strike in Yanouh and the ground abduction in Hasbaya–Marjeyoun mark a clear escalation by the Israeli occupation—combining aerial killings with cross-border raids deep inside Lebanese territory. (PW)