Israeli drone strike hits car south of Beirut after deadly Bekaa raids

Israel struck a car south of Beirut on Tuesday, just a day after pounding eastern Lebanon in raids that killed at least five people, in yet another brazen violation of the November truce that was supposed to end more than a year of cross-border bloodshed.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported "an enemy drone targeted a car… between the towns of Jiyeh and Barja", roughly 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the capital.

The strike hit a busy coastal road used daily by commuters, leaving behind a charred vehicle outside a mosque as soldiers rushed to cordon off the area.

It came less than 24 hours after Israeli warplanes and drones unleashed heavy bombardment on the Bekaa Valley and Hermel outskirts, killing five people and injuring five others.

The Israeli military alleged it had struck "sites belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation", including compounds it claimed were used by the group's elite Radwan Force.

Residents said the bombardment was the fiercest in years and shook entire towns, which included at least seven strikes.

"People are terrified to return home," one said, fearing further Israeli attacks.

The latest strikes lay bare Israel's ongoing contempt for the November 2024 ceasefire, with a deal requiring Hezbollah to redeploy north of the Litani River and Israel to withdraw its troops from Lebanese soil.

Instead, Israel has entrenched its forces at five border positions it claims are "strategic" and carried out hundreds of new assaults deep inside Lebanon.

According to UN and humanitarian monitors, Israel has launched more than 500 airstrikes on Lebanon since the truce began, alongside breaches on the ground.

These operations have killed at least 71 civilians, wounded many more, and flattened homes, farmland, and infrastructure. Lebanese officials say thousands remain displaced from southern villages deliberately kept uninhabitable by repeated Israeli shelling.

The latest attacks came after Lebanon's government said last week that its military would begin implementing a plan to disarm Hezbollah, without disclosing the plan's details.

In August, the Lebanese government ordered the military to draw up plans to disarm the once-dominant Hezbollah by the end of the year, under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes.

Beirut has characterised the disarmament push, which Hezbollah opposes, as part of the implementation of the ceasefire deal.