Israeli strikes in southern Lebanese village kill 12

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck “several Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites across southern Lebanon” overnight after the group’s fighters launched two explosive drones towards Israeli troops operating in the Ali al-Taher ridge area, which is just south of Kfar Roummane and inside the Israeli-declared “security zone”.

“Additionally, the IDF struck several terrorists who were identified transferring weapons in the area of Kfar Roummane, in order to remove the threat they posed to IDF soldiers.”

“The claim that several uninvolved individuals were harmed as a result of the strikes is being reviewed,” it added.

The IDF also said it had struck the Nabatieh area and killed several Hezbollah fighters on Sunday following a separate drone attack.

Lebanon’s health ministry said 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes across the south of the country on Sunday. They included nine people in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, which is south of Kfar Roummane, and two women in Arab Salim, to the north of the village.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. But on Sunday, one of the group’s members of parliament, Ali Ammar, declared that “the language of resistance is the only language that is effective against the Israeli enemy”.

The ceasefire agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the US calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area.

Hezbollah has rejected the framework, saying the provisions linking Israel’s withdrawal to the group’s disarmament cross “all red lines”.

Lebanon was drawn into the war between Israel, the US and Iran on 2 March, when Hezbollah – which is supported by Iran – launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

Israel responded by launching a bombing campaign across Lebanon and invading a significant part of the country’s south.

At least 4,362 people have been killed in Lebanon during the conflict, including 395 women and 259 children, according to the health ministry, whose figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.

Israeli authorities say 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the conflict.

Additional reporting by Ghaith Solh