Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon ( airstrike ) 

Tel Aviv: Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated again following an Israeli airstrike   ( airstrike )  in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers, leaving three of them seriously injured. In response, the Israeli military struck a Hezbollah position. Lebanon has reported civilian casualties in these attacks. The Israeli PMO stated in a social media post that Hezbollah attacked Israeli soldiers deployed in the security zone, seriously injuring three. Subsequently, the IDF targeted the Hezbollah headquarters from where the attack was allegedly ordered.

‘Presence of civilians discovered later’
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli military later learned that civilians were also present at the targeted location. Israel alleges that Hezbollah is deliberately using its own citizens as ‘human shields’ to subsequently accuse Israel of intentionally targeting civilians. According to the IDF, a central headquarters of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force in the Ansar area of ​​southern Lebanon was targeted. The military claimed that Radwan Force battalion commander Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan and several others were killed in the attack.

‘Family used as human shields’
The IDF stated that members of Hassan’s family were also inside the headquarters and were harmed in the attack. However, the military maintains that they were not the intended targets of the strike. Israel designated Hassan a legitimate military target under international law, alleging that he used his family as human shields. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also accused Hezbollah, stating that the Iran-backed organization severely injures Israeli soldiers and then creates situations that provoke an Israeli retaliatory response. He claimed that Hezbollah brings children into military zones, placing them in danger.

‘Israel is expanding the scope of its attacks’
Meanwhile, Hezbollah described the Israeli action as a move to escalate aggression. The organization alleged that Israel targeted a house on the outskirts of Ansar village and a building in Deir al-Zahrani village. Hezbollah maintains that Israel is widening the scope of its attacks. The group accused Netanyahu of seeking to escalate tensions to bolster domestic political support, serve electoral interests, and appease right-wing factions. Hezbollah also urged the Lebanese government to find ways to halt the Israeli attacks and criticized direct negotiations. It is worth noting that Israel has been continuously targeting Hezbollah.

Lebanese Prime Minister and President condemn the attacks
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. Salam stated that such attacks undermine efforts to stabilize the situation in the region. According to the latest reports, at least 11 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, including three children and two women killed in Ansar.