Lebanon’s National News Agency said the attack targeted a pickup truck on the outskirts of Hermel. Arab media outlets, citing local sources, reported that the strike aimed at a Hezbollah figure, Mahdi Shaheen.
Hours later, another Israeli airstrike hit a residential area in Deir Qanoun al-Naher, a village in southern Lebanon. There were no immediate reports on casualties or the extent of the damage.
The attacks followed an Israeli drone strike a day earlier on a car traveling along the Hosh al-Sayyed Ali-al-Qasr road in northern Hermel, which killed two people. Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over the area at low altitude after the attack.
The Israeli military said Wednesday’s strike had targeted a key Hezbollah operative. "A short time ago, the army carried out a precise, intelligence-based strike against an important Hezbollah figure from Unit 4400 in the Qasr region of Lebanon," the military said in a statement.
Later, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee identified the target as Maher Ali Nasreddine, a leader within Hezbollah’s Unit 4400.
Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah on November 27 after nearly 14 months of hostilities that achieved nothing for the regime but it has continued to conduct near-daily attacks inside Lebanon.
On January 27, Lebanon extended the ceasefire with Israel until February 18. However, the Zionist regime maintains its occupation of five strategic locations in southern Lebanon—Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill—beyond the deadline.
Lebanon has rejected the continued presence of Israeli troops, which violates the ceasefire and the withdrawal deadline. Senior Beirut officials say they will "adopt all means" to drive the occupation forces out of the Arab country.