Lebanon’s president appeals to US for help as Israeli strikes kill 7

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has called upon the United States and the international community to intervene and halt Israeli attacks, which have resulted in at least seven deaths on Sunday. Despite a recent truce and a framework agreement intended to cease the violence, Israeli forces allegedly targeted Hezbollah operatives and sites in response to a drone strike by Iran-backed Hezbollah on their troops near a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon. Israel has reported no casualties but accused Hezbollah of a "blatant violation."

The strikes reportedly damaged government premises and destroyed an unused hospital in the region. Lebanon's health ministry confirmed two fatalities in strikes near Nabatieh al-Fawqa, with two women also killed nearby. An additional 20 people, including several women and three children, sustained injuries in the same area. Another strike in Nabatieh claimed three more lives.

One of the strikes in Nabatieh al-Fawqa reportedly "totally destroyed" the out-of-service Ghandour hospital, raising concerns over a violation of international humanitarian law.

Israel claimed it targeted Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, including weapons storage facilities and terrorist structures, as well as a Hezbollah command center within a previously used hospital building. In response to an Israeli warning for residents near a building it called a Hezbollah facility in Arab Salim to evacuate, an airstrike destroyed another house, killing two women. The Israeli military subsequently struck the building mentioned in the evacuation notice.

The site in Arab Salim where two women were killed was later confirmed to contain extensive damage, with debris and rubble strewn across the area. A Hezbollah flag among the wreckage further underscored the intensity of the conflict. The National News Agency of Lebanon reported additional strikes on a motorcycle and a historical building, causing significant damage to surrounding structures, shops, and cars.

The Nabatieh mayor emphasized the need for the Lebanese government to take action to protect its institutions, stating that this was the second time official buildings had been targeted by Israeli strikes.