Israeli air attacks result in casualties in southern Lebanon

Israeli air attacks in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, including two children and two medics, according to Lebanese state media. The attacks occurred early on Monday in the town of Kfar Reman, where Israeli warplanes struck a residential building, killing nine individuals and injuring five others, as reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Additionally, a separate Israeli drone attack on a civilian vehicle in the same town killed two medics. The Israeli military also targeted a residential area in Deir al-Zahrani overnight, following a forced evacuation order. The military stated that it aimed at a building near a Hezbollah facility, which it claims was used to launch an explosive drone. These attacks follow a previous incident where at least seven people were killed and 20 others wounded in Israeli air raids on the nearby town of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district. The violence persists despite a United States-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon in June, which initiated a “pilot zone” plan intended to facilitate the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, the process has been described as “stalled,” with ongoing Israeli occupation of numerous villages in southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reported from Kfar Reman, indicating that there is a prevailing sense of “uncertainty and fear” among residents, who had begun returning to the area with hopes of rebuilding. Khodr noted that the recent attacks have led to a shift from rescue to recovery operations by civil defense workers. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have resulted in over 4,350 deaths and more than 12,300 injuries since the conflict escalated in early March. The ministry also reported 179 Israeli attacks on Lebanese ambulance crews since March 2, resulting in the deaths of 135 healthcare workers. Although the US-brokered agreement aimed to reduce violence, Israeli forces have continued operations within the so-called “security zone” in southern Lebanon, conducting air strikes without issuing forced evacuation orders.