Israeli contractor killed, his son wounded by Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon

Amer Hujirat hit by explosive UAV while operating excavator in area where IDF is demolishing Hezbollah infrastructure; PM says ‘special project’ underway to counter growing drone threat

A Defense Ministry civilian contractor was killed and another was wounded by a Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, the military announced, as the Iran-backed terror group continued to target northern Israel and Israeli forces in Lebanese territory.

The slain contractor, 44-year-old Amer Hujirat from the northern town of Shfaram, was operating heavy engineering machinery in the Aitaroun area, close to Bint Jbeil, amid efforts to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure.

The explosive-laden drone directly struck the excavator being operated by Hujirat, killing him. His 19-year-old son, who worked for the same company employed by the Defense Ministry, was lightly injured by shrapnel in the incident, according to Ziv Hospital in Safed.

Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have targeted an Israeli bulldozer in Bint Jbeil while it was demolishing homes. Hezbollah said earlier that it hit the engineering vehicle with an explosive drone.

The Israel Defense Forces said Hujirat’s family was notified by the police of the incident. Despite operating in war zones, civilian contractors who have been killed are not recognized as fallen soldiers.

“The IDF and Defense Ministry extend their condolences to the family,” the army added.

Hezbollah has been stepping up its use of explosive unmanned aerial vehicles, triggering repeated sirens in northern communities in recent days, including on Tuesday evening. The drones have also targeted Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon, killing one soldier earlier this week and severely wounding another on Monday.

Amid the repeated drone attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video saying that two weeks ago, he ordered a “special project” to counter the growing threat of Hezbollah UAVs, adding that “it will take time – but we will take care of that.”

Netanyahu noted that Israeli forces destroyed a “massive Hezbollah terror tunnel” on Tuesday during operations against the Lebanese group, adding that troops are “destroying their terror infrastructure” and “killing dozens of their operatives – and there is more to come.”

He also said the IDF was operating across multiple areas in Lebanon, including “south of the Litani, north of the Litani, [and] in the Beqaa Valley in northern Lebanon.”

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the health ministry reported late Tuesday that an alleged Israeli strike on a Lebanese army patrol killed five people, including three paramedics, and wounded two soldiers. The Lebanese ministry said the toll was preliminary.

The strike was in the southern town of Majdal Zoun, near the coastal city of Tyre.

Israeli forces hit an army patrol that was accompanying civil defense medical teams and bulldozers during a rescue operation at the site of a previous Israeli strike, the Lebanese army and civil defense said. Some of the responders were trapped under rubble by the second strike, they said.

The IDF did not immediately comment on the incident, which was condemned by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who argued it was part of a pattern of Israeli attacks on rescue and emergency workers in violation of international law. Israel accuses Hezbollah of embedding itself in the civilian population, including using medical facilities and vehicles for cover.

The Western-backed Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the recent conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed.

The fighting on Tuesday came despite an ongoing ceasefire, which US President Donald Trump said last week would be extended by three weeks while noting that Israel could carry out strikes in Lebanon in self-defense.

Since Hezbollah began firing at Israel on March 2, breaking a ceasefire reached in November 2024, two Israeli civilians have been killed in the attacks and 16 IDF soldiers have died fighting in Lebanon, along with Hujirat.

Lebanon’s health ministry says that more than 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes during the same period, a figure that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The IDF has said that it has killed over 1,900 Hezbollah operatives since hostilities escalated.

Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.