Israel won't stop attacking Hizbollah after killing another commander and his family

TEL AVIV: Israel vowed on Sunday to continue striking Hizbollah if it were threatened, following the identification of a commander killed in airstrikes that also resulted in the deaths of several children. Israeli strikes on Saturday claimed the lives of 11 people in southern Lebanon, the deadliest since a June ceasefire deal. The military claimed the attacks were a response to Hizbollah launching explosive drones into the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, injuring three Israeli soldiers, including an officer.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed, "No score will be left unsettled in any arena. We'll defend our soldiers and our civilians with full power." The Israeli military identified one of the victims as Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander of Hizbollah's Badr unit linked to drone attacks on Israeli troops. They acknowledged the family was present but defended the strike, stating the victims were not the targets.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that an entire family had been killed in the strike in the village of Ansar, with the UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, condemning the attack, stating, "Children and civilians continue to pay an unacceptable price. International humanitarian law is clear: civilians must be protected at all times."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hizbollah of placing civilians at risk, while Hizbollah denied the claim, stating, "Another entire family has been wiped out following orders issued by Netanyahu." Hizbollah's actions in March led Lebanon into the regional conflict after US-Israeli strikes in late February, and the two nations signed a US-brokered deal for Lebanon's army to gradually take over security in southern areas. However, Hizbollah has refused to disarm.