BEIRUT (Reuters) -One person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the southern Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Wednesday, a day after the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon.
The Israeli military said in a statement later on Wednesday that it struck the border town to target who it described as a “Hezbollah operative” handling weaponry in the area.
February 18 was the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanese towns under a U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement which ended the war between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia last year.
Israeli officials said some forces would temporarily remain in five positions across the border, a move they said is deemed essential for the country’s security.
Hezbollah, which suffered significant losses during the war, said Israel was still occupying Lebanese land and that it held the Lebanese government responsible for a pull-out of all Israeli forces.
Israel had been due to withdraw by January 26, but this was extended to February 18 after it accused Lebanon of failing to enforce the terms. Lebanon at the time accused Israel of delaying its withdrawal.
The Lebanese health ministry also said two people were injured by Israeli gunfire in the southern town of Al-Wazzani.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam; writing by Jana Choukeir; Additional reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din ; editing by Mark Heinrich and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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