West Asia conflict: Israeli strike kills one in southern Lebanon as attacks intensify

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the al-Mansouri village in Lebanon on Wednesday. PIC/AFP

An Israeli strike killed one person in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon's state news agency, as intensified attacks in the region drew a sharp condemnation from the Lebanese army, news agency AFP reported.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency, an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in Zebdine in the Nabatieh region, killing a man.

The Israeli army has stepped up strikes in the area since announcing last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge, a strategic position held by Hezbollah in Nabatieh.

The attacks have killed at least 29 people since Friday, including 12 members of the same family, according to Lebanese authorities and official media.

The Lebanese army said the escalation threatened the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, as well as its efforts to implement the deal.

In a statement, the army said continued Israeli attacks in recent days "threaten existing understandings and arrangements, and hinder the army's efforts to establish stability" in the region.

Lebanon conflict: UN chief voices concern as calls grow for army deployment in Nabatieh

Fighting in Lebanon had eased after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon were reached in June.

However, Beirut continues to report Israeli strikes, which it says have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March. Israeli forces also continue to occupy what they describe as a "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed concern over the Israeli "escalation" in southern Lebanon, according to his spokesperson.

Meanwhile, nearly 400 Lebanese public figures, including legal experts and human rights advocates, called in an online petition this week for the Lebanese army to be deployed in Nabatieh.

The signatories also expressed concern over a possible "expansion of the Israeli occupation" towards the city, located about 11 kilometres (seven miles) from the Israeli border.

Lebanese army says troops deployed across areas not occupied by Israel

"This city does not belong to any political group," the signatories said, referring to Hezbollah, which has a strong presence in Nabatieh.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Lebanese army said its units were "deployed in all areas that Israel does not occupy, particularly in the Nabatieh region".

(With AFP inputs)