Star Metro - Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill civilian: state media

Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally.

"Two civilians were wounded and a third killed in an enemy drone strike on a house in Khiam" about six kilometres (around four miles) from the border, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported.

An AFP photographer in the area reported a series of strikes on Khiam, with one image showing smoke billowing from four positions in the village at once.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army attacked a series of Hezbollah targets in the Khiam area.

"A sixth of all rocket launches from Lebanese territory since the start of fighting were launched from the vicinity of Khiam," Adraee said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

The NNA said Israel also struck a number of other sites in south Lebanon near the border on Wednesday, including a water pumping station in the Wazzani plain at the border.

In recent weeks, several foreign government officials have visited Beirut amid concerns the Gaza war could spark a wider conflict involving Iranian allies around the Middle East.

On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne warned officials in Beirut that Israel was threatening to wage war on its northern neighbour to return citizens displaced by cross-border fire, Lebanon's foreign minister said.

The previous day, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Sejourne in Jerusalem that "time is running out" to reach a diplomatic solution in south Lebanon.

Israel has repeatedly bombarded Lebanese border villages, killing 227 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 27 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

On the Israeli side, 15 people have been killed in the northern border area including nine soldiers and six civilians, according to the Israeli army.

A.Desjardins--SMC