Beirut [Lebanon], August 16 : At least 11 people were killed and 19 others injured in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday (local time), after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that three of its soldiers were injured in earlier attacks by Hezbollah, Al Jazeera reported.
The early-morning Israeli strikes targeted Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani in the Nabatieh district. In Ansar, seven people were killed, including three children, while two others were injured. Another strike in Deir ez-Zahrani killed four people and injured 17 others, according to Al Jazeera.
Following the strikes, Israel acknowledged that civilians were among the casualties and accused Hezbollah of "deliberately putting civilians in that military compound." Israel identified the women and children killed in the strike as family members of a targeted senior Hezbollah commander, according to The Times of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking Israeli soldiers. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee echoed the allegation, saying Hezbollah "severely wounds" Israeli soldiers.
The strikes drew strong criticism from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who accused Israel of sending a "clear message" ahead of the next round of US-sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
According to Lebanon's Health Ministry and state media, seven people were killed, and two others wounded when Israeli warplanes struck a home in Ansar, north of Tyre. Another strike in Deir ez-Zahrani, north of Nabatieh, killed four people and injured several others.
The latest strikes come amid heightened tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, particularly in southern Lebanon, with the IDF stating that its operations aim to target Hezbollah's military infrastructure and prevent attacks on Israeli forces.
In June, Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire mediated by the US.
Earlier on Friday, the IDF said it had killed a Hamas company commander in southern Gaza.
According to the Israeli military, Hudhaifa Khaled Suleiman Qawari, a company commander in Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade, was killed in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday.
The IDF alleged that Qawari was involved in training Hamas fighters, transferring weapons across southern Gaza, and attempting to rehabilitate and rebuild the group's military capabilities.
The military further stated that Qawari had recently orchestrated attacks against Israeli troops and civilians and was targeted to remove an immediate threat.
The IDF noted that precautions were taken before the strike to minimise risks to civilians, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.
"IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat," the military said.