Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon kills four near Syrian border

An Israeli drone strike in eastern Lebanon killed four people on Sunday evening after targeting a vehicle near the Syrian border, Lebanese state media reported, as Israel continues expanding its cross-border attacks on the country.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an Israeli drone “targeted a car on the Lebanese-Syrian border”, adding that “four bodies” were found inside the vehicle following the strike near the Masnaa crossing in the Majdal Anjar area of the Bekaa Valley.

The Israeli military claimed without evidence it had struck "terrorists", asserting that the attack targeted operatives from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad. 

A message posted on X by the Israeli army’s deputy Arabic-speaking spokeswoman, Captain Ella, repeated the same claim.

The strike forms part of Israel’s widening campaign of attacks beyond Gaza, where its war and ongoing bombardment have devastated civilian infrastructure and triggered a humanitarian crises.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, but Israeli strikes in Lebanon have continued almost daily since then, killing more than 370 people, according to an AFP tally based on Lebanese Health Ministry figures.

The continuing strikes come despite commitments intended to stabilise the border following months of escalating Israeli attacks.

Lebanese officials say Israeli fire has persisted across several areas, contributing to a steady rise in casualties even after the agreement entered into force.

In January, the Lebanese army announced it had completed the first phase of a government-led plan to disarm Hezbollah fighters in areas near the Israeli border, part of broader efforts by Beirut to assert state control and reduce armed activity along the frontier.

Authorities have also overseen the transfer of weapons from several Palestinian factions in refugee camps to Lebanese security institutions over the past year as part of the same initiative to limit the presence of non-state armed groups.