Israel again strikes deep into Lebanese territory — state media

BEIRUT — Israel on Saturday struck an aluminium factory deep in Lebanon, state media said, a week after its furthest strike since border skirmishes began last month.

"An enemy [Israeli] drone fired two missiles at an aluminium factory on the road between Toul and Kfour, setting it on fire," Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said, without specifying whether there were casualties.

But Kfour Mayor Khodr Saad told AFP two wounded civilians were transported to a hospital in the village.

The factory is about 15 kilometres from the northern borders.

NNA said it was the first strike in the Nabatiyeh region of Lebanon's south since the 2006 war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hizbollah movement.

It also reported Israeli artillery strikes and air raids against several areas in Lebanon's south.

The factory bombardment comes after Israel on November 11 struck a pickup truck on a farm in the Zahrani area on Lebanon's coast, about 45 kilometres  from the Israeli border, NNA said at the time, without reporting casualties.

Hizbollah on Saturday said its fighters shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone “using a surface-to-air missile”, in addition to launching five other attacks on Israel’s northern border.

While war continues in Gaza, “all resistance forces... will continue to put pressure on Israel”, senior Hizbollah official Hashem Safieddine said during a speech.

“There is no question today of talking about a ceasefire on one front and not the other,” he added.

At least 90 people have been killed on the Lebanese side in cross-border skirmishes since last month, according to an AFP tally.