Israel bombed several areas in Southern Lebanon over the weekend, killing at least 11 people, including three children, in one of the deadliest Israeli attacks since the ceasefire with Hezbollah came into effect in June.
Seven people, including three children and two women, were killed in Ansar, while another four people were killed in Deir al-Zahrani. Israel said that the strikes came in response to a Hezbollah explosive-drone attack that seriously wounded three Israeli soldiers.
The IDF said that among those killed were two senior Hezbollah commanders. Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was killed in Ansar, while Ali Muhammad Fakhr al-Din, also known as Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s Badr regional unit, was killed in Deir al-Zahrani.
Israel is currently occupying parts of Southern Lebanon behind what has become known as the “yellow line” or Israeli security zone. Under a US-brokered framework agreed in June, Israel is expected to gradually withdraw as the Lebanese Army takes control of the area and Hezbollah is disarmed. Hezbollah has rejected disarmament while Israel maintains that it will not withdraw until the group is disarmed.
Meanwhile in Gaza, the IDF said that it struck an Islamic Jihad member in Khan Younis and a Hamas member in Nuseirat who were allegedly preparing attacks against Israeli forces. One Palestinian wounded in the Khan Younis strike later died.
Israel still controls most of Gaza while negotiations over a broader settlement remain stalled. The latest US-backed proposal envisages Hamas disarming alongside an Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of a new Palestinian civilian administration, but its implementation remains unresolved.
Newsroom
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