Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed nine civilians on a single day, a dreadful escalation of violence that has gripped the region since early March.
Seven people—including three children and two women—were hit by a strike at a house in Ansar, a refugee‑heavy neighbourhood in the Nabatieh district. The attack, which struck around 04:30 local time, rattled displaced families and sparked a plume of smoke across the village.
Later that Saturday, a second wave of strikes hit the town of Deir al‑Zahrani, killing two more civilians and injuring nine others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The conflict, which kicked off on 2 March when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, has sparked Israel’s bombing campaign and occupation of roughly 5 % of Lebanese territory. The military claims the strikes were aimed at “Hezbollah terror infrastructure,” though Lebanese leaders say the targets were civilians.
The June ceasefire framework calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the region. While recent attacks have breached the framework, negotiations are slated for a September round—though a final date has yet to be set.
