Among the dead were a woman and her two children, the ministry said. Five others were wounded, with two in critical condition. 

Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, said the strike targeted a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah. However, Mohammad Shoaib, who runs a nearby slaughterhouse, disputed this claim. “The area struck was an industrial and civilian area, that contained factories producing bricks, metal, and aluminium, as well as a dairy farm,” he told The Associated Press.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading strikes since October 8, with over 500 people killed in exchanges, including around 100 civilians and non-combatants.

The Lebanese government and international governments have scrambled for weeks to put an end to the monthslong clashes, with the region on a knife edge since July.

The strike comes after an Israeli strike last month in southern Beirut killed Hezbollah's top commander, whom Israel accused of leading a rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths. Hours later, an explosion widely blamed on Israel killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.

Both Tehran and Hezbollah vowed to retaliate, but have not yet launched strikes as diplomatic endeavours continue, as well as Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar.

Hezbollah Israel fought a six-week war in the summer of 2006 that ended in a draw. Hezbollah's military capabilities have developed significantly since then.