Two killed in Israeli strike on car in Lebanon

At least two people were killed on Friday when an Israeli drone targeted their car in Lebanon's western Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanese state media.

"The enemy targeted a car on the Maidoun-Sarira road," Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

The Maidoun area is controlled by Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah milita.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had targeted a senior member of the Jama'a Islamiya organization, a minor Sunni movement in Lebanon that recently announced it would support the Shiite Hezbollah movement in its fight against Israel.

Jama'a Islamiya confirmed that two of its members were killed in the Israeli attack.

The IDF said the senior member targeted in the strike had planned a number of terrorist attacks directed at Israel.

The Israeli military also accused Jama'a Islamiya of having cooperated with the Lebanese offshoot of Palestinian extremist organization Hamas to that effect.

It was not possible to independently verify that claim.

In response to the "cowardly attack," Hezbollah said it had fired dozens of Katyusha rockets towards Israel on Friday evening.

According to Israeli reports, around 30 missiles launched from Lebanon entered into the area around Mount Hermon in northern Israel. Some rockets were intercepted, while others landed in open areas. There were initially no reports of casualties.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war, pro-Iranian Hezbollah has been firing rockets, artillery and anti-tank shells into northern Israel. Israel has responded with airstrikes and artillery fire.

According to the Israeli army, a civilian worker was killed in shelling from Lebanon late Thursday.

So far, around 280 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the fighting in the border area. There have also been several deaths on the Israeli side since then. Civilians have also been killed on both sides.

Earlier on Friday, a civilian worker was killed in a border area between Israel and Lebanon by anti-tank fire directed from across the border in Lebanon, according to the IDF.

Israeli media reported that the man who was killed was a 35-year-old contracted by the IDF to work on infrastructure activity. The Times of Israel said he was from a Bedouin town, while Haaretz said he was from a nearby Arab village.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack in the Har Dov region, also known as Shebaa Farms, on the Israeli side of the contested border.

It said its targeted ambush was launched at 2130 GMT on Thursday and destroyed two armoured vehicles.