Seven people were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, the country's prime minister announced, marking one of the deadliest attacks since a ceasefire agreement was reached in June.
The strike targeted a house on the outskirts of Ansar, in the Nabatieh district, around 04:30 local time. State media reported that displaced families were residing in the house, and among the victims were three children and two women.
The Israeli military stated that it had attacked "Hezbollah terror infrastructure" in retaliation for an earlier incident involving its soldiers. This attack occurred amidst intensified Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon throughout the night.
Later on Saturday morning, additional strikes hit the town of Deir al Zahrani, resulting in two fatalities and nine injuries, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Social media footage depicted large plumes of smoke rising through the village streets, accompanied by the sound of sirens.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks, asserting that the civilians killed were not "military infrastructure." He urged Israel to "halt this escalation," emphasizing that the security and right to life of his people are non-negotiable.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the incident that prompted the strike on Ansar as occurring at the Ali al-Taher Ridge, a strategically important high ground overlooking southeastern Lebanon and a key battleground in the conflict.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) also reported a series of strikes near the ridge. In Bint Jbeil, close to the border, several homes were reportedly destroyed, and Israeli forces fired heavy machine guns at residential buildings, according to the NNA.
Lebanon became involved in the conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran on March 2nd, when Hezbollah, an Iran-affiliated armed group, launched rockets into Israel in response to a strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign across Lebanon and an invasion of a significant portion of the country's south, with its forces currently occupying approximately 5% of Lebanese territory.
The June ceasefire framework proposes Hezbollah's disarmament, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army throughout the area.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strikes that resulted in the death of an entire family in Ansar and denounced the "repeated violations" of the framework, viewing them as a "clear message" to the US-led negotiations. Hezbollah was not part of the agreement and has refused direct negotiations.
The IDF maintains its commitment to neutralizing threats to Israeli citizens and soldiers operating within the security zone, a 10km-deep military buffer in southern Lebanon occupied by Israel.
Despite a decrease in hostilities following the June agreements, Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon have persisted.
On Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem criticized the Lebanese authorities regarding the implementation of the framework, accusing them of pressuring the Lebanese army while Israeli attacks continued. He questioned the acceptance of "this ongoing humiliation of the Lebanese army, exposing it to bombardment and Israeli pressures, instead of acting as its protectors?"
Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are scheduled to convene for an eighth round of negotiations in September, though a definitive date has not yet been set.
