Lebanon rejects Israel claim linking soldier killed to Hezbollah

Lebanon has rejected Israeli claims that a Lebanese soldier killed in an Israeli strike near the southern city of Sidon on Monday was linked to Hezbollah, dismissing the allegation as false.

The Lebanese army confirmed on Tuesday that the soldier, Ali Abdallah, was among three people killed when an Israeli drone struck a vehicle near Sidon on Monday. However, it denied Israeli allegations that he was affiliated with Hezbollah or had served in any intelligence role connected to the group.

Speaking to French-language newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour, an army source said the claims were "untrue", adding that the men accompanying the soldier may have been relatives or acquaintances from his village.

The source said Abdallah had served in the army's anti-tank regiment, contradicting Israel's statement that he was part of a military intelligence unit.

Israel's military said it had targeted "several Hezbollah operatives" in the Sidon area, claiming the strike was aimed at preventing the group from rebuilding military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has denied the allegation, while both the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have repeatedly said they have not detected Hezbollah military activity or reconstruction in the south.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone around 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) from the southern city of Sidon, while the health ministry confirmed that three people were killed.

In recent months, Israel has accused the Lebanese army of either cooperating with Hezbollah in transporting and concealing weapons or of being incapable of disarming the group, arguments Israeli officials have used to justify continued military action in Lebanon.

In November, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli army claimed it had observed cooperation between Lebanese army forces and Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon.

According to the report, Israel alleged that Hezbollah equipment had at times been transported using Lebanese army vehicles, and that Lebanese forces had turned a blind eye to the entry of Hezbollah engineering equipment into sites previously used by the group.

Israeli officials have also claimed that, despite the Lebanese army previously destroying Hezbollah weapons depots near the Israeli border as part of the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah has since accelerated weapons smuggling, while the Lebanese army has failed to respond to the claims.

According to the Haaretz report, Israel intensified its attacks in Lebanon in response to what it described as a decline in Lebanese army activity, with strikes aimed at destroying military infrastructure and weapons stockpiles.

The Israeli military claimed the attacks were carried out in areas where oversight was lacking, and alleged that Hezbollah was attempting to recruit fighters and establish combat units to reorganise its presence in southern Lebanon.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon have continued despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024, which was intended to end more than a year of hostilities.

Lebanese officials and UNIFIL have rejected Israel’s allegations of renewed Hezbollah activity, accusing Israel of using unsubstantiated claims to justify ongoing attacks and the continued occupation of Lebanese territory.