Eleven civilians die in Israeli air raids on southern Lebanon

Eleven people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, officials say, the most deadly day of attacks since the ceasefire framework announced in June.

In the outskirts of Ansar, 70km south of Beirut, seven people lost their lives, including three children and two women, according to Lebanese state media. The strike also hit the town of Deir al‑Zahrani, where four people were killed and five were wounded, the ministry of health reported.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks, demanding that Israel halt the escalation and that the civilian casualties not be considered military targets.

Israel’s Defence Forces said it killed an Hezbollah commander, alleging a retaliation for an attack on Israeli soldiers. The IDF also claimed the strike targeted a Hezbollah battalion commander, Ali Samir al‑Haj Hassan, stating the operation was a lawful response to terror attacks.

Hezbollah dismissed Israel’s claims and insisted that civilians were deliberately trampled in their homes, asserting that the locations were military sites. The conflict has escalated again after the June ceasefire talks, with Israeli forces remaining in a 10km buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

The attack comes at a time when Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are expected to meet again in September for a new round of talks, though a definitive date remains unconfirmed.