Israeli warplanes struck at least four towns across southern Lebanon before dawn on Sunday, killing four people and wounding 20 others in the latest flare-up along a border that has seen near-daily exchanges since a ceasefire nominally took hold nearly two years ago.

The strikes hit Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Arab Salim, Nabatieh city and Kfar Reman. Two women were killed in Arab Salim, where the blast also damaged part of Ghandour hospital, according to Lebanese state media and local officials. Two more people were killed in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. In Nabatieh city, a historical building and a municipal government office were destroyed; in Kfar Reman, the home of a former mayor was leveled. Among the wounded were several women and three children.

The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out "in response to" Hezbollah launching two explosive drones toward Israeli troops stationed in a self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon, and said no Israeli soldiers were hurt in that alleged attack. Hezbollah has not publicly claimed the drone launch.

A border that never quite went quiet

The overnight raids are the newest chapter in a pattern that has defined the Lebanon-Israel border since the November 2024 ceasefire ended their 2024 war: Israel continues to strike targets it links to Hezbollah, arguing the group has not fully disarmed south of the Litani River as the truce requires, while Lebanese officials say the strikes themselves violate the agreement and keep the country locked in a state of undeclared war.

THE STRIKES DESTROYED A HISTORICAL BUILDING, A HOSPITAL WING AND A FORMER MAYOR'S HOME IN A SINGLE MORNING

Lebanon's caretaker government has repeatedly complained to the UN Security Council about the continuing raids, while Israeli officials maintain their campaign is necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding military infrastructure near the border. The Lebanese army has been slowly expanding its own deployment in the south under the ceasefire's terms, but has no mandate — or firepower — to stop Israeli airstrikes.

Sunday's toll brings the civilian cost of the low-grade conflict into sharp relief just as Lebanon's government tries to project stability ahead of parliamentary elections next year. Reconstruction in villages hit repeatedly since 2024 remains stalled in many areas, with residents saying international donors are wary of funding rebuilding efforts while strikes continue.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah has signaled any near-term de-escalation. Lebanese officials say they will again raise the strikes with UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force charged with monitoring the border, though the force has limited ability to compel either side to stand down.