Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 11 people and wounded 19 in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, amid intensified attacks on several cities and villages overnight. The early morning attacks on Saturday hit Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani in Nabatieh district. In Ansar, seven people were killed, including three children, and two were injured. The attack in Deir ez-Zahrani killed four people and wounded 17. Recommended stories list of 4 articlesend list Hezbollah issued a statement urging the Lebanese government to abandon what it calls “humiliating” direct negotiations and stop relying on American mediation, saying Washington supports Israel’s interests over Lebanon’s sovereignty. The group also warned that Israeli attacks would meet with an “appropriate response.” “The Israeli enemy must understand well that their attacks, their transgressions and their attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue and they will receive what they deserve,” the statement said. Meanwhile, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, called the Israeli attacks a “massacre” and said they represented the continuation of a “war aimed at extermination” in southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Ansar, said the dead included children and family members. “This is an area that people consider safe, but now an airstrike has occurred,” Hashem said, adding that the attack had increased fear among residents as Israeli attacks and demolitions continued throughout southern Lebanon. The Israeli army said it had attacked what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in the Nabatieh and Ansar areas, saying the attacks came in response to an action against Israeli soldiers on the Ali al-Taher ridge. to consolidate stability in southern Lebanon. Lebanon He said the responsibility for dealing with any military infrastructure on Lebanese territory, “if it exists,” lies solely with the Lebanese state, through the army and other state institutions. “Its presence does not give Israel the right to violate Lebanese territory or put civilians at risk,” Salam said, calling on Israel to stop escalating violations of the framework agreement, the work of the military coordination group and international laws that protect civilians. negotiation and US efforts to implement the agreement. Strikes across southern Lebanon The National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli attacks intensified early on Saturday, with a series of airstrikes on the Ali al-Taher ridge, near Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Two other attacks hit areas near the teacher training center and al Husseini. An Israeli airstrike also hit the Al Mashaa neighborhood in Al Mansouri shortly before. Al Jazeera’s Hashem said Israeli demolitions had also continued in border areas, with some villages suffering extensive destruction, including damage to cemeteries and historical sites. “This is increasing day by day,” he said, adding that diplomatic efforts have yet to produce results on the ground for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. Qassem criticized the Lebanese authorities for implementing the framework, accusing them of pressuring the army while Israeli attacks continued. “How can you accept this continued humiliation of the Lebanese army, exposing it to Israeli bombings and pressure, instead of acting as its protectors?” On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw unless Hezbollah was disarmed and what he called the “threat” posed by the group was eliminated. Katz said Israeli forces currently control about 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) of Lebanese territory, or about 7 percent of the country. Hezbollah.
