Kumar Bahukhandi
First aid responders and residents rush to the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood in the southern Lebanese village of Deir al-Zahrani (Abbas FAKIH / AFP)
The Israeli military acknowledged that civilians were among the casualties and said the strikes targeted Hezbollah military infrastructure
Beirut/Tehran: At least 11 people, including three children, were killed and 19 others injured in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, drawing strong condemnation from Iran amid renewed tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The strikes early Saturday targeted areas in the Nabatieh district, including Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani. Seven people, including three children, were killed in Ansar, while two others were injured. Another strike in Deir ez-Zahrani killed four people and injured 17 others, according to Lebanese authorities and state media.
The Israeli military acknowledged that civilians were among the casualties and said the strikes targeted Hezbollah military infrastructure. Israel also alleged that Hezbollah had placed civilians at risk at the targeted site.
The women and children killed in Ansar were identified by Israel as relatives of a senior Hezbollah commander. The strikes followed Israeli claims that three of its soldiers had been injured in earlier attacks by Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, while US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticised the group over the attacks on Israeli forces.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strikes, saying they sent a clear message ahead of the next round of US-sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei strongly condemned the strikes, describing them as attacks on Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said the strikes had killed civilians and damaged residential and other civilian infrastructure.
Baghaei also criticised the United Nations Security Council for what he called silence and inaction over alleged violations of international and humanitarian law.
He reaffirmed Iran’s solidarity with Lebanon and its support for the country’s sovereignty and independence.
The latest violence comes despite a US-mediated ceasefire reached between Israel and Lebanon in June.
Tensions have remained high along the southern Lebanese border, with Israel saying its military operations are aimed at preventing Hezbollah attacks and dismantling its military infrastructure.
( Source : AFP )
