Israeli strikes kill 11 in Lebanon, threatening ceasefire

Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed 11 people on Saturday, August 15, including three children and two women, marking the deadliest day of fighting since a US-brokered ceasefire framework was reached in June. The attacks, which struck the towns of Ansar and Deir Zahrani, have raised alarm over the fragile diplomatic process aimed at easing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.

Lebanon's health ministry reported that seven people were killed in an airstrike on a home in Ansar, including three children and two women. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said an entire family from the town was among the dead. Four additional people were killed and 17 others wounded, including a child and 11 women, in a separate strike on Deir Zahrani. Both towns are located approximately 20 kilometers from the Israeli border.

The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the areas of Nabatieh and Ansar in response to what it described as a Hezbollah attack on Israeli soldiers near the Ali al-Taher ridge, a strategic hilltop overlooking the Nabatieh area. The military later said Hezbollah had attacked forces inside a security...