Israel says 20 militants killed in Lebanon over past month

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said, it had killed about 20 people in Lebanon over the past month, describing them all as militants, including a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force killed earlier in the day.

The latest strike came amid increased cross-border Israeli attacks in Lebanon and escalating rhetoric from the country despite an ongoing fragile ceasefire, raising concerns that Israel may be preparing to resume large-scale air operations in its northern neighbor, Xinhua news agency reported.

The army said the 20 people killed were targeted as part of operations "to remove threats against the State of Israel."

In an airstrike earlier on Wednesday, the military said it had "struck and eliminated" Hussein Jaber Dib, described as a member of Hezbollah's Radwan Force who "advanced terror attacks against the State of Israel and its citizens."

Lebanon's Health Ministry said one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli airstrike that hit a car in the town of Burj Rahal in the southern district of Tyre. "The attack resulted in the martyrdom of one citizen and the injury of another," the ministry said in a statement, without identifying the victims.

Security sources told Xinhua that the targeted person was Hussein Jaber Dib, from the municipality of Shuhur.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since November 27, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting ongoing Hezbollah activity while maintaining forces along the border.