BEIRUT — An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed four civilians, including a school principal, according to Lebanese authorities, in one of the deadliest reported incidents since a fragile ceasefire reduced but did not end cross-border hostilities.
Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) and the Health Ministry said the strike hit a car in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on Monday as the occupants were returning after inspecting repairs to their family home, which had been damaged during earlier fighting. The victims were identified as school principal Esperanza Ghandour, her mother, a foreign domestic worker and a Syrian laborer.
Lebanese officials said the vehicle was targeted by an Israeli drone. The attack prompted condemnation from education officials and local authorities, who described Ghandour as a respected educator serving the community in southern Lebanon. The Association of Public Primary School Teachers in Lebanon paid tribute to Ghandour, calling her a dedicated educator whose death was a significant loss to the country's education sector.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted individuals it considered a threat to Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon but did not immediately provide further details or publicly identify those it said were being targeted. Reuters could not independently verify the competing accounts regarding the identities or activities of those in the vehicle.
The incident occurred despite a ceasefire framework that has sharply reduced large-scale fighting between Israel and Hezbollah but has not halted Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon or sporadic hostilities along the border.
Security sources cited by Reuters previously described the attack as the deadliest Israeli strike in southern Lebanon in several weeks. Days later, another Israeli drone strike near Nabatieh reportedly killed two people, underscoring continuing tensions despite the truce.
Residents of southern Lebanon have gradually returned to communities heavily damaged during months of conflict, although many continue to face repeated security incidents and uncertainty over the durability of the ceasefire. Large numbers of displaced families have been attempting to repair homes and restore basic services while intermittent military operations continue.
No announcement of an immediate change to the ceasefire arrangements had been made as of Thursday, and international efforts to preserve the truce remained ongoing.
