Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon, deadliest since June truce

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least 11 people, including three children and two women, in the deadliest day since the US-brokered framework agreement in June. The strikes hit a house in Ansar and the town of Deir Zahrani, drawing sharp condemnation from Lebanese leaders who reject Israel's justification that the targets were military infrastructure. Source: CNN Source: Infobae

The strikes

According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, the attacks killed 11 and wounded 19. In Ansar, seven people died when a residential building was hit, while four were killed in Deir Zahrani. Source: La Voz The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to a group action against its soldiers, and confirmed the death of a second senior Hezbollah commander, Abu Hasan Alaa, in the Deir Zahrani strike. Source: Infobae In the Ansar attack, Israel said it killed Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah's Radwan force, and accused him of using his family as human shields. Source: Infobae

The reaction

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam countered that the victims were not "military infrastructure," stating that "the children and women killed are not military targets." Source: Diario Libre President Joseph Aoun called the strikes "a clear message to the negotiation process and to US efforts to implement the agreement." Source: Euronews Hezbollah warned of an "appropriate response" and reiterated its rejection of direct negotiations. Source: La Vanguardia

The context

The June framework, which Hezbollah did not sign, calls for the group's disarmament and Israel's gradual withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israel says it will not withdraw until Hezbollah disarms, while the group rejects the condition as surrender. Source: El Confidencial The violence has continued despite the truce, with over 4,300 killed in Lebanon since March 2. Source: Listin Diario