Anger in Lebanon after Israeli strike kills 3 children, Israel voices 'regret'

An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed five people Sunday, including three children, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. Two others were wounded, including the mother in the family.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the strike, near Bint Jbeil, had targeted a motorcycle.

The Israeli military later said it had "struck and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon," while acknowledging that it killed civilians.

"The terrorist operated from within a civilian population and in violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," it added.

"As a result of the strike, several uninvolved civilians were killed. The IDF (military) regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimize harm as much as possible," it continued, adding that "the incident is under review."

Israel frequently says it is targeting Hezbollah militants or infrastructure in Lebanon's battered southern region. Hezbollah has only claimed firing across the border once since the ceasefire, but Israel says the militant group is trying to rebuild its capabilities.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said four of those killed, the three children as well as their father, held U.S. citizenship. The U.S. State Department, however, said none of the five appeared to be a U.S. citizen, but the situation was still "fluid."

Since a ceasefire agreement was reached in November to end Israel's monthslong war with Hezbollah group, Israel has continued to strike southern and eastern Lebanon almost daily.

Lebanese officials have warned that the ongoing strikes risk the country's recent efforts to disarm the group and could destabilize the country. Hezbollah has maintained that it no longer has a military presence south of the Litani River, and has refused to speak of disarmament without Israel stopping its attacks and withdrawing from southern Lebanese territory.

President Joseph Aoun, who earlier landed in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, condemned the strike and called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop. Aoun, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, endorsed an agreement last month that would gradually disarm Hezbollah.

The monthslong war between Hezbollah and Israel killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced residents across southern and eastern Lebanon.

Hezbollah officials say the ongoing strikes justify their refusal to give up their arms, and claim that the ceasefire agreement and monitoring mechanism with the United States, France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces is ineffective.

Under the Washington-brokered ceasefire, both Hezbollah and Israel were supposed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon and halt strikes against each other. Israeli forces have continue to occupy five Lebanese hilltop points by the border.