Israeli drone strikes hit South Lebanon towns, violating ceasefire

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
3 May 2025 21:56

The ongoing Israeli attacks and violations have resulted in the martyrdom of 149 people and left 346 others injured.

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Smoke rising above a Lebanese hill between Tair Harfa and Chamaa villages is seen from Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Southern Lebanon came under intensified Israeli drone attacks on Saturday, with strikes reported in multiple towns and growing concerns over the targeting of civilians, medics, and environmental activists.

According to Al Mayadeen correspondents, Israeli drones launched airstrikes on the towns of Qabrikha, Toulouseh, and the outskirts of Khartoum in the Saida district. A separate strike involved the drone dropping of grenades near the town of Marjeyoun.

In addition, an Israeli drone reportedly used loudspeakers to threaten Lebanese farmers working in the plains of Majidiya and Wadi Khansa, ordering them to leave the area.

On May 1st, a drone strike claimed the life of Osama Farhat, a civil defense paramedic and coordinator for the environmental organization Green Southerners ("Al Janoubiyyoun Al Khodr"). Farhat was martyred in a direct strike on his hometown, Meiss El Jabal.

ببالغ الحزن والأسى ننعى الناشط البيئي والمنسق في جمعية الجنوبيون الخضر، أسامة فرحات، الذي استشهد اليوم بتاريخ الأول من أيار/مايو بعدما استهدفته مسيرة للاحتلال في قريته ميس الجبل. كان الشهيد قد أصيب بأنحاء متفرقة من جسده في استهداف سابق خضع على أثره للعلاج والعناية المركزة ، pic.twitter.com/aOz5Zxl1hQ
— Green Southerners الجنوبيون الخضر (@GreenSoutherns) May 1, 2025

In a statement, the association mourned his death and denounced "Israel's" continued targeting of civilians, activists, and temporary housing units erected by displaced residents attempting to return to their border villages and reclaim their farmland.

"These attacks represent a blatant violation of international humanitarian law," the association declared, adding that "the targeting of environmental activists, medics, and volunteers operating in extremely dangerous conditions is a direct breach of the norms that protect civil and environmental workers during armed conflicts."

The group condemned the silence of international organizations in the face of "systematic and deliberate violations" and urged urgent international intervention. "The international community—especially environmental and human rights bodies—must assume its legal and moral responsibilities, act swiftly to halt these aggressions, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure protection for civilians, medics, and environmental activists, particularly in the targeted and devastated border regions," the statement said.

Despite the occupation's efforts to sow fear and displacement, the people of the south—farmers, medics, and resistance supporters alike—remain steadfast in their commitment to the land and their right to resist.

Since the ceasefire in South Lebanon took effect on November 27, 2025, Israeli forces have violated Lebanese sovereignty over 3,000 times, according to various local monitoring sources.

These breaches include approximately 1,500 ground incursions, 1,435 aerial violations, and 73 maritime infractions. The ongoing Israeli attacks and violations have resulted in the martyrdom of 149 people and left 346 others injured, further escalating tensions in the region and drawing condemnation from Lebanese officials who view the repeated attacks as a blatant breach of international law and Lebanese territorial integrity.