Deadly Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate
At least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded after Israeli air strikes hit several towns and villages in southern Lebanon early Saturday, state media reported.
Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district, killing seven people and wounding others.
Another strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed at least two people and wounded several others, as the Israeli military intensified attacks across the Nabatieh region before dawn, according to local media reports.
Lebanese media also reported artillery fire and other strikes in areas including Ali al-Taher Heights near Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kfar Tebnit, Zawtar al-Sharqiya and other parts of southern Lebanon.
The intensity of the overnight bombardment forced many residents to leave their homes, Lebanese media reports said.
Al Jazeera reported that children and members of one family were among those killed in the Ansar strike, which "deepened fears among residents" as Israeli strikes and demolitions continued across southern Lebanon.
“The attacks are escalating day by day,” the report said, adding that diplomatic efforts had yet to produce a significant change on the ground.
The Israeli military said it struck "Hezbollah infrastructure" in the Nabatieh and Ansar areas, adding that the attacks came in response to "action against Israeli soldiers".
Strikes test fragile agreement
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected Israel's account and described the escalation in Nabatieh, Ansar, Deir al-Zahrani and surrounding villages as “extremely dangerous”, adding that it was undermining efforts to stabilise the region.
“The seven people killed in the Israeli strike on Ansar are not ‘military infrastructure’, and the children and women killed in it are not military targets,” Salam said in a statement.
He said responsibility for dealing with any military infrastructure on Lebanese territory, “if it exists”, rests exclusively with the Lebanese state through the army and other state institutions.
“Its presence does not give Israel the right to violate Lebanese territory or put civilians at risk,” Salam said.
Hezbollah said that Israeli attacks would be met with an "appropriate" response, urging authorities to halt "humiliating" negotiations with Israel.
Israel "must clearly understand that its attacks, violations and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue, and will be met with an appropriate response", the group said in a statement, adding that Lebanese authorities "must not insist on continuing along the humiliating path of direct negotiations and providing the enemy with free concessions".
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has also condemned the attacks, saying the escalation in Nabatieh and surrounding areas amounted to repeated violations of the framework governing efforts to reduce hostilities and protect civilians.
Aoun said the attack on Ansar had killed members of an entire family and described the escalation as “a clear message” to the negotiating process and US-led efforts to implement the agreement.
The violence comes despite a reduction in hostilities following a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June and a subsequent US-sponsored framework between Lebanon and Israel.
The arrangement calls for Hezbollah's disarmament, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. However, disagreements over its implementation have continued.
On Thursday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would not withdraw from territory it controls in Lebanon until Hezbollah was disarmed and what he described as the threat posed by the group was removed.
On Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem criticised Lebanese authorities over the implementation of the agreement, accusing them of placing pressure on the Lebanese army while Israeli attacks continued.
“How can you accept this ongoing humiliation of the Lebanese army, exposing it to bombardment and Israeli pressures, instead of acting as its protectors?” Qassem said.
The strike on Ansar was among the deadliest reported Israeli attacks in Lebanon since agreements reached in June led to a significant reduction in hostilities.