Eleven killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, authorities say

An emergency worker looks through rubble in the aftermath of an airstrike on Ansar in Lebanon
Among those killed in the strike on the outskirts of Ansar were three children and two women, state media reports.

Eleven people have been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, authorities say, in one of the deadliest days of attacks since an agreement aimed at reducing hostilities was announced in June.

The strike on the outskirts of Ansar, 70km south of Beirut, resulted in the death of seven people, including three children and two women, as reported by Lebanon’s prime minister and state media.

Israel’s Defence Forces say it killed a Hezbollah commander following an attack against Israeli soldiers, and that the family of the commander were harmed because they were used as human shields.

Later, another round of strikes hit the town of Deir al‑Zahrani, killing four and wounding five others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The Ansar strike occurred around 04:30 local time, when displaced families were living in the area, and footage on social media shows plumes of smoke and sirens. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks, saying the civilians killed were not military targets and urged Israel to halt the escalation.

The IDF said the incident that prompted its strike took place on the Ali al‑Taher Ridge, a strategic high ground overlooking much of southeastern Lebanon, and that Ali Samir al‑Haj Hassan, a Hezbollah battalion commander, was killed. The strike was specifically directed at him, a lawful target, and not at his family who were used as human shields.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office defended the strike, citing Hezbollah’s use of civilians as human shields and the intent to target the Hezbollah terror headquarters that ordered the attack. Hezbollah rejected these claims and decried the targeting of Lebanese civilians.

Since March when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, Israel has conducted a bombing campaign across Lebanon and occupies about 5% of Lebanese territory. The June ceasefire framework calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area. Despite some reduction, Israeli strikes and demolitions continue, and negotiations are set for a new round in September.