At least 11 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, Reuters reported, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health. According to the Ministry of Health, seven people were killed in an airstrike on a house in the southern village of Ansar, and four more were killed in the village of Deir el-Zahrani.
Three children and two women were among the dead in Ansar. Nineteen people were wounded in the airstrikes. The Israeli military said it struck infrastructure of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in a "security zone" in southern Lebanon overnight in retaliation for attacks against Israeli soldiers. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the commander of the group's Radwan unit, Ali Samir al-Hajj Hassan, was killed in the strike in Ansar. In its statement, Hezbollah declared that it would retaliate for the attacks on Lebanon. The country's authorities also condemned the strikes. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the attacks were a "clear signal" against the negotiations and US efforts to implement the framework agreement.
On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement to end hostilities. It stipulates a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory, concurrent with Hezbollah's disarmament, which must be verified by a third party. The movement itself is not participating in the negotiations and refuses to lay down its arms.
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