Lebanon reports 11 dead in strikes that Israel says targeted Hezbollah

Lebanon reported 11 deaths, including three children, in Israeli strikes on the village of Ansar on Saturday. The strikes were in retaliation for an attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah against Israeli troops in the Ali al-Taher ridge. This was the deadliest such raid since June, when deals eased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel prepared for an eighth round of US-sponsored direct negotiations in Rome next month. The June framework deal agreed upon in Washington was a source of tension, with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stating that the latest violations signal a call for the negotiations process and American efforts to implement the agreement.

Hezbollah vowed a response to the strikes, urging Lebanese authorities to abandon negotiations. The health ministry confirmed seven deaths in Ansar and 17 others wounded, while the Israeli army claimed to have targeted Hezbollah's infrastructure. The Israeli army later asserted that one of the strikes near Ansar marked the first at such a depth since the ceasefire two months ago.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, urged international sponsors of the negotiations to bear responsibility before it's too late. Hezbollah accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of escalating the war to strengthen his domestic political position. The Israel-Lebanon framework deal includes Hezbollah disarmament, Israeli forces' withdrawal from south Lebanon, and Lebanese army deployment in pilot zones.

However, violence has persisted, with Lebanon reporting intermittent Israeli strikes and demolitions of civilian buildings in southern areas.