Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people on Saturday, including seven in the village of Ansar and two in Deir al-Zahrani. These strikes were among the deadliest since a precarious truce between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect less than two months ago, on June 20.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency reported that one strike hit a home on the edge of Ansar, killing seven people, among them three children, and wounding two others. The second strike, in Deir al-Zahrani, killed two individuals and wounded nine. Such actions underscore the ongoing military occupation and disregard for civilian life.
Lebanese Condemnation and Israeli Pretext
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned what he termed “ongoing Israeli attacks” in southern Lebanon. He described them as a “violation of the Framework Agreement” in a post from his office’s X/Twitter account. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also responded, calling on Israel to “halt its military escalation” in southern Lebanon on X/Twitter.
Salam asserted that the responsibility for addressing any military structures on Lebanese territory rests exclusively with the Lebanese state, through its army and legitimate institutions. He emphasized that their existence does not grant Israel the right to violate Lebanese territory or endanger civilians. “Israel must halt this escalation,” Salam stated, adding, “For the security of our people and their right to life on their land are not subject to negotiation or bargaining.”
Israel, for its part, claimed it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. This was presented as a response to actions taken by the group against Israeli soldiers operating in what it calls the “security zone.” Hezbollah, however, stated that the strikes would be “met accordingly.”
In a Telegram statement, Hezbollah characterized the attacks as “Israeli escalation,” pointing to the targeting of civilians and the expansion of targeted areas. The group explicitly linked these actions to the “enemy’s criminal prime minister, Netanyahu,” accusing him of seeking to escalate the war to bolster his domestic political standing, serve electoral objectives, and appease the far Right. Hezbollah affirmed that “The Israeli enemy must understand clearly that its attacks, violations, and attempts to impose a new reality cannot continue and will be met accordingly, in defense of Lebanon, its people, its sovereignty, and its national dignity.”
Failed Agreements and Regional Instability
The Lebanese government and Israel announced a “framework agreement” in June, less than two months ago. This agreement outlined a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Hezbollah, crucially, refused direct talks and was not a party to this agreement.
Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon have remained in flux since the trilateral framework, agreed upon by Israel, Lebanon, and the United States, was signed in June. This so-called “peace agreement,” intended to encourage diplomatic relations, remains uncertain. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to maintain their presence in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah refuses to disarm, highlighting the persistent failure of diplomatic initiatives to end Israeli military occupation.
Regional tensions flared beyond Lebanon on the same day. The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of attacking a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Emirati state-run WAM news agency reported that a tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, with no injuries. This was the third such attack on ADNOC vessels in the critical waterway in the last week. The UAE blamed Iran and called for an end to “unprovoked strikes.” The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center noted a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile on Friday, hitting its hull, though it wasn't immediately clear if it was the same vessel.
Shipping has been disrupted, and the strait has been virtually closed since the Iran war started on February 28, less than six months ago, with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through this waterway. The attacks in the Strait persist as Iran seeks to control the key passageway as a form of leverage. Talks between the U.S. and Iran have stalled, while Iran is in discussions with Oman about managing the strait.
Also on Saturday, Yemen’s military reported that Iranian-backed Houthis attacked the Mokha port, killing at least one security guard. Col. Majed al-Nazili, the military spokesman, stated that the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles Friday evening on the port in a “new terrorist aggression that targeted a vital civilian facility.” The attack wounded eight people and left two marines missing. This latest Houthi attack on government-held areas and Saudi Arabia is part of an escalation threatening to plunge Yemen into a full-fledged conflict, despite a 2022 ceasefire, now in its fourth year, that had stopped heavy fighting during the country’s civil war. Analysts suggest the Houthi escalation reflects Iran’s strategy to scale up pressure on the United States and its regional allies.