Eleven people have been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, authorities say, in one of the deadliest days of attacks since a deal aimed at reducing hostilities was announced in June. Lebanon’s prime minister said seven people were killed in an attack on a house on the outskirts of Ansar, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of the capital, Beirut. State media reported that the dead included three children and two women. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had killed a commander of Hezbollah – the Iran-backed Shiite militia – following an attack on Israeli soldiers. The commander’s family “whom he used as human shields” were present and “damaged,” he added. Lebanese authorities say the attack in Ansar around 04:30 (01:30 GMT) occurred where displaced families were living. Images on social media show large columns of smoke permeating the streets of the village as sirens sound. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks and said the seven civilian deaths were not “military infrastructure.” “Israel must stop this escalation,” he said. “Because the security of our people and their right to life in their land are not subject to negotiation or bargaining.” The IDF said the incident that prompted its attack on Ansar had taken place on the Ali al-Taher Ridge, a strategic high ground overlooking much of southeastern Lebanon and one of the most fiercely contested positions of the war. “Along with him, several additional terrorists who were involved in carrying out terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers were eliminated,” he added. “The attack was aimed specifically at Hassan, who was a legal target under international law, not at his family members whom he used as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” the army said.
