Claimed Israeli capture of Lebanese ridge reshapes negotiation dynamics

Overnight, Israeli air strikes in a southern Lebanese village claimed the lives of at least 12 people, the Lebanese health ministry reported. Eleven individuals, comprising two children and four women, perished in a strike that demolished a residential building in Kfar Roummane. A separate attack on a vehicle carrying paramedics from the Islamic Risala Scout Association resulted in the death of a paramedic and injuries to two others, the ministry added.

Israeli military officials stated that the strikes targeted infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shia Muslim group, as well as several individuals allegedly transferring weapons.

The strikes followed an earlier drone attack on Israeli troops operating in an occupied zone near the northern town of Kfar Roummane, located in the Nabatieh district. This development has further strained the already tense situation in the region, with Israeli attacks causing at least 27 deaths in the past three days, according to the health ministry.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed concern over the escalating violence, warning that it jeopardizes the US-brokered ceasefire, which was meant to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. He called for the international community to pressure Israel to cease its attacks. The latest strikes occurred in close proximity to the strip of territory occupied by Israeli troops, prompting a fresh wave of evacuations from the area.

The first air strike destroyed a three-story residential building near Kfar Roummane's Shuyuiya roundabout shortly after midnight. In addition to the 11 fatalities, eight individuals were injured, including three children and a paramedic from the Islamic Health Association, an emergency service affiliated with Hezbollah. The second strike targeted a vehicle transporting paramedics, killing one and injuring two others.

The Risala Scouts, another emergency service linked to the Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah, were targeted in the incident.

A local resident, Sara Moallaem, recounted her harrowing experience of hearing the explosions and immediately moving her five children to the home's safe room as sirens blared. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that it struck Hezbollah's "terrorist infrastructure sites" and several individuals transferring weapons in the area.

However, they acknowledged that the claim of civilian harm is being reviewed. The IDF also reported striking Hezbollah fighters in the Nabatieh area following a separate drone attack earlier in the day.

Lebanon's health ministry documented 11 deaths in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday, including nine in Nabatieh al-Fawqa and two women in Arab Salim. Meanwhile, no immediate response was received from Hezbollah regarding the strikes. The ongoing conflict, which began on March 2, has resulted in over 4,362 deaths in Lebanon, including 395 women and 259 children, according to the health ministry. Israeli authorities reported 40 soldiers and four civilians killed during the same period.