Deadliest Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon raise doubts over US‑brokered peace talks

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Saturday that killed at least eleven civilians in the south of Lebanon, the health ministry said. Nineteen others were wounded when bombs hit the villages of Ansar and Deir al‑Zahrani. The Israeli defence force said the raids targeted a Hezbollah command centre in the Radwan Force, an elite unit of the Iran‑backed militia.

Casualties and targets

The strike on Ansar destroyed a house on the village’s edge, killing seven people including three children. A second raid on Deir al‑Zahrani killed four civilians and injured 17. Israeli officials identified the deceased as Ali Samir Al‑Haj Hassan, a battalion commander of the Radwan Force, and said the operation was a response to recent attacks on Israeli soldiers in the security zone.

"The strikes should jumpstart the talks and make them much more serious, not do the opposite," said Doron Spielman, spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Political fallout

Both sides accused each other of breaching the June 20 truce that ended weeks of cross‑border fire. Ella Waweya, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said the raids were a direct reaction to Hezbollah violations of the cease‑fire. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks as a "clear message" against the negotiation process, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam insisted the victims were not military targets and called for an immediate halt to the escalation.

Outlook

Analysts warn that the deadliest strikes since the truce could embolden Hezbollah to retaliate, risking a broader confrontation. Israeli officials have hinted that further operations may follow if the militia does not cease fire, while Lebanese authorities are under pressure to prevent a spiral that would jeopardise the upcoming talks in Rome. The next few weeks will likely determine whether diplomatic channels can survive the renewed hostilities or whether the region slides back into open conflict.