Israeli drones issue border warnings in south Lebanon, make low passes over Beirut

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL

Israeli drones on Thursday dropped warning leaflets over the southern Lebanese town of Shebaa, cautioning residents to stay away from designated areas near the border, local media said.

The leaflets highlighted an area in red and urged locals not to approach it, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported.

In a separate incident, an Israeli drone dropped an explosive device on a vehicle in Shebaa that had earlier been targeted with a stun grenade.

The news agency also said Israeli unmanned aircraft were flying at low altitude over Beirut and its surrounding suburbs amid heightened regional tensions.
Cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. As many as 4,000 people, including Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah, were killed and around 17,000 others were injured.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activity.
Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.