‘Israel must halt escalation,’ Lebanon PM says

An Israeli strike in the Lebanese village of Ansar on Saturday claimed seven lives, including three children, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. This marks one of the deadliest Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the June ceasefire. Three individuals were injured in the assault. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the strike, asserting that those killed were not military targets.

He emphasized that responsibility for any military infrastructure on Lebanese soil rests solely with the Lebanese state. The Lebanese government has been striving to place all weapons, including those held by Iran-backed Hezbollah, under state control as part of efforts to consolidate state authority and end hostilities with Israel.

Despite multiple rounds of talks, including US-mediated sessions, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the attack sent a clear message regarding the negotiating process and US efforts to implement the agreement. Israel and Lebanon have been working towards a US-brokered framework agreement aimed at ending hostilities and securing an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

However, talks held in Rome on August 6 concluded without a deal, with the two sides at odds over Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon. In addition to Ansar, Israeli strikes targeted Deir Al Zahrani, a village approximately 18 kilometers from Ansar, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to nine others. Many residents fled the region due to the attack.

The Israeli military claimed that the strikes were aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure. The Israeli military also conducted operations on the Ali Al Taher ridge, a strategic hilltop area located to the southeast of the Nabatieh region, which has been a focal point of Israeli military activities in southern Lebanon.