Lebanese officials condemn Israeli strikes as ceasefire violations following eleven deaths

At least 11 people, including three children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency, in the deadliest attacks since a US-mediated peace framework was agreed in June. Israel says it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, while Lebanese officials condemned the strikes as a threat to ongoing negotiations and the country’s sovereignty.

The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed that a strike on the village of Ansar killed seven people, including three children and two women, while a second strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed four and wounded 17. The attacks targeted the Nabatieh district town of Ansar and the nearby settlement of Deir al-Zahrani, occurring on Saturday in what has been described as one of the deadliest days of violence since the ceasefire framework was announced.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes that killed an entire family in Ansar, describing them as repeated violations of the ceasefire framework. He noted that the attacks sent a clear message to the United States-led negotiations currently underway. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, which was not a party to the June agreement and has rejected direct negotiations, warned that it would respond appropriately to the attacks.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the strikes, aligning with President Aoun’s assessment that the actions undermine the fragile diplomatic process. The June 2026 ceasefire agreement called for Hezbollah disarmament, gradual Israeli withdrawal, and the deployment of the Lebanese army, but tensions have persisted since the conflict escalated in March 2026 when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following a strike that killed Iran's supreme leader.

The exact nature of the infrastructure targeted by Israel remains unverified by independent sources, and the specific response timeline or actions from Hezbollah have not yet been confirmed. Claims regarding the intent behind the strikes, including whether they were deliberate violations of the truce, are currently presented as allegations by Lebanese officials. Casualty figures are attributed to Lebanese authorities, with independent verification not explicitly confirmed in the source material.