Eleven civilians, including 6 children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Villages in southern Lebanon, according to reports from a hospital director and three Lebanese security sources.
Israel stated that these strikes were in retaliation to rocket fire by Hezbollah, which resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier.
The conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli military has intensified over the past four months following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks in support of their Palestinian ally, Hamas.
Security sources revealed that a woman and her two children were among the fatalities in the Israeli bombing of the village of Al-Sawaneh.
Additional strikes on a building in Nabatieh resulted in the deaths of four more children, three women, and a man, as confirmed by Hassan Wezni, the director of the city’s hospital, and three other security sources. Wezni reported that seven others were hospitalized for injuries sustained during the bombardment.
Hezbollah and security sources also noted that four of the group’s fighters were killed in separate strikes.
While Hezbollah did not announce any operations on Wednesday, its Executive Council’s head stated that Israeli assaults on Lebanese territory “cannot go unanswered.”
Israeli government spokesperson Ilana Stein acknowledged the rocket barrage from Lebanon that killed an Israeli soldier and injured eight others, emphasizing Israel’s lack of interest in a two-front war but vowing a strong response to provocations.
Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi, despite claiming gains against Hezbollah, stated that it was not the time to cease operations. He conducted meetings with local mayors in northern Israel, stressing the untenable situation for displaced Israelis who are unable to return home.
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, in a televised address, declared the group’s continuation of cross-border fire until a complete ceasefire is achieved in Gaza.
The cross-border shelling has resulted in over 200 deaths in Lebanon, including more than 170 Hezbollah fighters, along with around 12 Israeli soldiers and some civilians, displacing tens of thousands from border areas in both countries.
