BEIRUT: A devastating series of Israeli strikes hit villages across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, claiming the lives of eleven people, including six children. The strikes were in response to a Hezbollah rocket attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier.
Tensions have escalated along the Israel-Lebanon border for over four months, marked by ongoing exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The recent strikes targeted the village of Al-Sawana, claiming the lives of a woman and her two children, and a building in Nabatieh, resulting in the deaths of four children, three women, and a man.
Hezbollah reported the loss of four fighters in separate strikes. In response, senior Hezbollah official Hassan Fadlallah warned that Israel would face reprisals for its actions, stating, “The enemy (Israel) will pay the price for these crimes.”
The Israeli strikes followed an attack on a military base in northern Israel, which killed one soldier and left eight others hospitalized. Israel emphasized its right to respond to provocations but expressed a desire to avoid a war on two fronts.
Hezbollah’s stance remains firm, with Fadlallah asserting their legitimate right to defend their people. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, instructed the foreign minister to file a new complaint at the United Nations Security Council over Wednesday’s casualties.
The cross-border conflict has already claimed over 200 lives in Lebanon, including more than 170 Hezbollah fighters, as well as a dozen Israeli troops and five civilians. Tens of thousands of people in the border areas of both countries have been displaced, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.
The situation remains highly volatile, with regional leaders calling for a ceasefire and diplomatic intervention to de-escalate tensions.