At least 11 people were killed and 19 others injured following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday. The strikes targeted the villages of Ansar and Deir Al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh Governorate. According to Reuters, this marks the deadliest escalation since the two nations agreed to a US-brokered peace framework.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health and the National News Agency (NNA) confirmed that an attack on a residence in Ansar claimed seven lives, including three children and two women. A separate strike in Deir Al-Zahrani resulted in four additional fatalities. The total death toll in Lebanon has surpassed 4,300 since this phase of conflict escalated on March 2.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated the overnight operations in the designated “security zone” were conducted in response to Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops. The IDF reported killing Radwan Force commander Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan alongside other operatives, with the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office accusing Hezbollah of utilizing civilians as human shields.
In response, Hezbollah vowed an “appropriate retaliation.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun issued statements emphasizing that civilians and children cannot be treated as military targets, framing the strike as a direct impediment to US-led diplomatic stabilization.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for national unity and urged international mediators to intervene before the situation deteriorates further. While Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that forces will not withdraw until Hezbollah is fully disarmed, the US State Department clarified that a permanent Israeli military footprint remains incompatible with agreed peace framework provisions.
