An Israeli air strike today targeted a vehicle in southern Lebanon, which was about 45 kilometers from the shared border, in the first strike deep into Lebanese soil since hostilities began in October, state media reported.

The official Lebanese news agency ANI, which did not report any casualties, said “an enemy drone targeted a small truck located in an orchard in Zahrani district”, on the Lebanese coast.

The daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have generally been limited to the border zone between the two countries since the beginning of the war that broke out after the bloody attacks carried out on October 7 on Israeli territory by the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas.

It is the first time an Israeli raid has taken place so far from the border.

Journalists were unable to get close to the site of the targeted post, a banana plantation, as the Lebanese army barred access.

This raid took place a few hours before a speech by the leader of the powerful Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, expected at 15:00 (Greece time).

Shelling was continuing from both sides of the border this morning, according to ANI and an AFP reporter in northern Israel.

Yesterday, Friday, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel was “conducting extensive strikes in the north” in response to three drone “infiltrations”.

Hezbollah, for its part, claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel’s northern border, including three drone attacks, one of which targeted an Israeli army camp.

Yesterday Hezbollah announced the death of seven of its fighters, bringing to 68 the total number of its fighters killed since it began shelling Israeli positions in solidarity with its Hamas ally.

In total, at least 90 people have been killed on the Lebanese side during cross-border clashes, according to an AFP tally. Six soldiers and two civilians have been killed on the Israeli side.