At least 11 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
The strikes mark one of the deadliest single days of violence since agreements reached in June brought a temporary pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. A further 19 people were wounded in the attacks, health officials reported.
Seven people died when Israeli aircraft struck a residential home in the southern village of Ansar, according to Lebanon's National News Agency. State media reported that three children and two women were among those killed in the house. A separate air strike on the village of Deir El Zahrani killed four people, the news agency added.
Radwan Force commander targeted
The Israeli military announced on Saturday afternoon that the dawn raid on Ansar targeted and killed Ali Samir al-Hajj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah's elite al-Radwan Force. Military officials stated that aircraft struck a headquarters belonging to the specialized unit.
Israeli forces confirmed reports that Hassan's family was inside the military headquarters at the time of the attack, while clarifying that his family members were not the intended target of the operation. In an earlier statement, the military said its forces struck Hezbollah infrastructure overnight in a security zone in southern Lebanon, claiming the strikes responded to actions directed against its soldiers.
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shia militant group and political organization based in Lebanon, while the al-Radwan Force operates as its elite commando unit. Southern Lebanon, which borders northern Israel, has been the main operational area for both forces throughout the conflict.
Peace framework and Rome negotiations
The escalation comes weeks after Lebanon agreed to a peace framework with Israel following diplomatic mediation by the United States. Under the framework, Israeli troops are to remain in occupied southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the Lebanese Armed Forces assume control of the region. Hezbollah rejected the terms, describing them as a surrender.
Following the latest air strikes, Hezbollah threatened appropriate retaliation against Israel. The group also urged the government in Beirut to stop what it termed humiliating negotiations conducted with Israel since April.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the Israeli attacks, stating they sent a clear message regarding the future of diplomatic talks between the two countries. The strikes occurred ahead of a new round of negotiations scheduled to begin in Rome in September.
