Israel warns Hezbollah of more strikes after deadly Lebanon attack
Israel has vowed to strike Hezbollah again if threatened, a day after its airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people, including children, in the deadliest such attack since a ceasefire was reached in June.
The Israeli military said the strikes on Saturday were a response to Hezbollah launching explosive drones inside a security zone in southern Lebanon, seriously injuring three Israeli soldiers, including an officer.
“No score will be left unsettled in any arena. We’ll defend our soldiers and our civilians with full power,” Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X.
The military identified one of those killed as Abu Hassan Alaa, saying he was a senior commander of Hezbollah’s Badr unit involved in drone operations against Israeli troops. Earlier, it said the strike had killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
The Israeli military acknowledged that Hassan’s family was present at the time of the strike but insisted they were not the target.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said a “whole family” had been killed in the village of Ansar. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that three children and two women were among the dead.
Imran Riza, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, condemned the strike. “Children and civilians continue to pay an unacceptable price. International humanitarian law is clear: civilians must be protected at all times,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office accused Hezbollah of deliberately placing civilians in harm’s way. Hezbollah denied this, saying in a statement that “another entire family has been wiped out following orders issued by Mr. Netanyahu.” The group added that Netanyahu, who faces proceedings before the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza, was “once again presiding over the killing of Lebanese civilians.”
Hezbollah entered the regional conflict in March by firing rockets at Israel in support of Iran, following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Lebanon and Israel signed a U.S.-brokered deal under which Lebanon’s army is to gradually take over security in areas Israel had occupied, but Hezbollah has refused to disarm.
The violence underscores the fragility of the ceasefire and the continuing risk of escalation along the border. Both sides accuse each other of violations, while civilians remain the most affected by the recurring hostilities.
