In brief
Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed eleven civilians, including children and women, after a June framework aimed at reducing hostilities. The blasts hit Ansar and Deir al‑Zahrani, prompting condemnation from Lebanese leaders. The IDF said it targeted a Hezbollah commander but alleged the use of human shields by the militia. The attacks underscore the fragile ceasefire and ongoing disputes over civilian protection.
Eleven people have been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, authorities say, in one of the deadliest days of attacks since a ceasefire framework was announced in June.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said seven people were killed in a strike on a house on the outskirts of Ansar, 70 kilometres south of Beirut. State media reported that three children and two women were among the dead.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed it shot down a Hezbollah commander following an attack on Israeli soldiers. The commander was allegedly using civilians as human shields, according to the IDF. Additional strikes hit Deir al‑Zahrani later that day, killing four and wounding five others as reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Children, women and staff evacuated from the villages were caught in the blasts, with social‑media footage showing houses swallowed by smoke and sirens wailing.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes, calling them repeated violations of the ceasefire framework and a message to the US‑led negotiations.
Hezbollah denied the claims of the IDF and accused the Israeli forces of deliberately targeting civilian homes, arguing that many of the sites were falsely labelled as military sites.
Israel says its forces will continue to eliminate threats to its citizens along the 10‑kilometre security zone in southern Lebanon, while Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are slated to meet for an eighth round of talks in September.
Images from the bombing show the scale of destruction: a house at Ansar engulfed in fire and a crater near Burj al‑Shamali, both of which illustrate the human cost of the conflict.
