Lebanon says Israel conducted wave of deadly strikes

On Monday, Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, killing eleven individuals, including two infants, according to the Lebanese state media agency, the National News Agency (NNA). This occurred a day after additional raids resulted in the deaths of seven others. Israel has ramped up its strikes in the southern Nabatieh area following its claim of seizing the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge from Hezbollah, a group that has not commented on the assertion.

The fighting in Lebanon escalated in March after Hezbollah retaliated against Israel's support for Iran, but has since eased since a June memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, as well as an Israel-Lebanon framework agreement later that month.

On Monday, Israel's foreign ministry accused Hezbollah of launching "repeated drone attacks" and attempting to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon. The ministry further claimed that Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which includes the disarming of the group. The NNA reported that nine people were killed when an Israeli strike destroyed a three-story residential building in the village of Kfar Rumman, near Nabatieh.

Two rescue workers in the area, one of whom was just 18 years old, were also killed when their car was targeted by the Israeli attacks. One of the rescuers was an Amal movement member, which is a political ally of Hezbollah. An AFP photographer witnessed the destruction of the building, noting the scattered school books and furniture remnants in the rubble.

Rescue teams were on the scene searching through the debris on Monday morning for any additional victims.

The Israeli military had not issued a warning to Kfar Rumman prior to the strikes, but released an evacuation order ahead of a separate strike in the nearby Deir Zahrani. Israeli forces stated that they were targeting a "Hezbollah terrorist facility" and warned that anyone remaining in the area would be at risk. A local resident, Abbas Toufeili, recounted the experience of being informed at 2 am by the Israeli army to evacuate his home, expressing disbelief that his house could be targeted when he claimed it contained "nothing in it."

He and his family fled the house in their pajamas, witnessing the destruction of their residence as it was struck by Israeli forces. On Sunday, another seven people were killed in Israeli airstrikes following the attacks on Friday, which had resulted in the deaths of four individuals. The Israeli military asserted that it was responding to Hezbollah's launch of two drones towards its soldiers inside Lebanon, though it did not confirm whether any of its troops were injured.

Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since June 20. Israeli airstrikes, coupled with a ground invasion in Lebanon, have claimed over 4,300 lives since the conflict began in March. The Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, called upon the United States and the international community to intervene and halt Israeli attacks.