Lebanon says Israeli strikes in south of the country kill at least 11
Israeli Airstrikes Claim at Least 11 Lives in Southern Lebanon
Bharatmorningnews.com – Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed that Saturday’s Israeli bombardment in the southern region resulted in a minimum of 11 fatalities. These casualties represent some of the heaviest losses sustained since Beirut reached a U.S.-brokered peace arrangement with its neighbor.
Targets and Immediate Response
According to the Israeli armed forces, overnight operations focused on Hezbollah facilities within a designated security zone. The military characterized the action as retaliation for hostile moves against Israeli personnel stationed in the area.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, issued a declaration promising that the assaults would receive appropriate retribution.
“The attacks would be met with what they deserve,” the group stated in its official announcement.
Framework Terms and Casualties
The negotiated settlement requires Israeli forces to remain in occupied territories until Hezbollah completes disarmament and the Lebanese military assumes full control. The militant organization has dismissed these conditions as capitulation.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that seven individuals perished when warplanes hit a residence in Ansar village. Meanwhile, four additional deaths occurred following an attack on Deir El Zahrani.
Among those lost in Ansar were three youngsters and two women, according to NNA. The agency noted that 19 people sustained injuries across both incidents combined.
Broader Conflict Toll
Since hostilities resumed on March 2, the death count in Lebanon has surpassed 4,300. Beyond the village strikes, NNA documented aerial bombardments targeting Ali al-Taher hill, a strategic location north of the Litani River. One operation aimed at a valley adjacent to Ansar marked the most extensive penetration into Lebanese territory over the preceding two months.
Political Reactions and Accusations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office took to X to blame Hezbollah for breaching the truce and wounding three Israeli soldiers. The statement explained that the IDF targeted the organization’s main headquarters before discovering that civilians had been placed deliberately within the compound.
“The IDF responded by striking the Hezbollah terror headquarters which ordered the attack,” the office declared. “Only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah deliberately put civilians in that military compound.”
The Israeli military also announced the elimination of Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a leader within Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, during the Ansar operation. Officials noted that Hassan’s relatives were inside the headquarters at the time and were injured, though they were not the intended targets.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam challenged the characterization of the victims in a social media post.
“The martyrs of the Israeli raid on the village of Ansar are not ‘military infrastructure’ and the women and children killed in it are not military targets,” Salam asserted.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, urged national solidarity and called upon peace talk sponsors to take action before the situation becomes irreparable.
Negotiations and Future Outlook
Israel captured extensive portions of southern Lebanon during its earlier confrontation with Hezbollah, which erupted after the group launched attacks on Israel two days into the Iran conflict. Jerusalem maintains that maintaining troops in the region will shield the northern border from renewed aggression.
During a Thursday visit to the south, Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated that withdrawal would only occur once Hezbollah is disarmed. Conversely, a U.S. State Department representative indicated that a lasting Israeli military footprint might conflict with existing agreement provisions.
President Joseph Aoun viewed the recent strikes as a signal directed at ongoing diplomatic efforts and American initiatives to implement the framework.
Doron Spielman, an international spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, suggested the operations would strengthen bargaining positions.
“I think it should make the negotiations more serious and more real, because it highlights the whole reason we got into these negotiations in the first place,” Spielman told Reuters.
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