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<p>The Israeli military said that Hezbollah launched an explosive drone at an engineering vehicle on a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, raising concerns about renewed escalation along a volatile front line.</p>
<p>The attack threatened to undermine a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah amid efforts to implement a broader framework agreement aimed at ending months of fighting, which Hezbollah has rejected.</p>
<p>The military reported the drone targeted an engineering vehicle on the Ali al-Taher ridge, a hilltop about six miles from the Israeli border, with no injuries reported.</p>
<p>A Hezbollah spokesman did not claim responsibility for an operation on the ridge and accused Israel of using “false pretexts” to continue attacks in Lebanon.</p>
<p>The latest fighting began in March after Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Iran following U.S.-Israeli strikes, resulting in extensive casualties and widespread displacement in Lebanon, and casualties among Israelis.</p>
<p>The ridge has emerged as a key strategic area, with estimates that Hezbollah operates a significant underground installation there, which Israel says has long served as a command center for attacks against its territory. The ridge overlooks southeastern Lebanon, including Nabatieh.</p>
<p>Israel expanded the boundary line in June to include the ridge, signaling heightened security concerns and ongoing military activity in the area.</p>
<p>Fighting near the ridge intensified in mid-June when Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli troops, followed by reports of a large Israeli operation surrounding an underground Hezbollah fortress beneath the ridge.</p>
<p>The incident occurs as Israel and Lebanon pursue a framework agreement to wind down the conflict, which envisions gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Lebanese-led security in those areas to facilitate the return of displaced residents. The initial phase designates three villages as “pilot zones.”</p>
<p>Critics in Lebanon argue the framework lacks a fixed withdrawal timetable and hinges on disarming Hezbollah, a process that has faced significant challenges.</p>
<p>Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon.</p>
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