Lebanon says nine killed in Israeli strike, fear of wider war in Middle East persists

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The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire across the border since the conflict in Gaza between Palestinian Hamas militants and Israeli forces escalated last October
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Lebanon’s health ministry reported that an Israeli air strike on Saturday in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of nine people, including a woman and her two children, with five others wounded, two of them critically. The strike occurred in the Nabatieh area, approximately 12 kilometres from the Israeli border.

Israel’s military confirmed the attack via its Telegram channel, stating that the air force targeted a weapons storage facility belonging to the Hezbollah movement.

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The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire across the border since the conflict in Gaza between Palestinian Hamas militants and Israeli forces escalated last October.

On Wednesday (August 14), Israel conducted an airstrike in Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that two people were killed in the country’s south, and Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of two of its fighters. The Israeli military had said back then in a statement that its air force had “struck Hezbollah military structures” including in the Blida area.

Ten months of cross-border violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has killed senior commanders and several hundred fighters from the Iran-backed group, causing destruction and displacing tens of thousands on both sides.

The latest incident has heightened concerns over the potential for a broader regional conflict, which international mediators are striving to prevent through negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated Israel’s readiness to act both defensively and offensively, asserting the nation’s determination to protect itself following the killings of Shukr and Haniyeh.

Amid growing international pressure, Israel faces calls to secure a truce that could prevent further escalation, while diplomatic efforts intensify in Lebanon to avoid further conflict.

With inputs from agencies