At least six people have been killed following an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the city of Nabatieh, located in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The airstrike, which occurred early Saturday morning, also resulted in serious injuries to three individuals, as reported by the ministry. However, Lebanese media outlets are reporting a higher death toll of eight, although this figure has yet to be independently verified.
The Israeli military, which regularly provides updates on its airstrikes and artillery shelling against Lebanon, has not commented on this latest incident. Earlier, the military shared information on social media stating that its fighter jets targeted “military buildings” in the villages of Maroun al-Ras and Aita al-Shaab, situated more than 50 kilometers south of Nabatieh.
These attacks are taking place in the wake of ongoing clashes between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as part of Hezbollah’s support for Hamas following the Palestinian group’s incursion into southern Israel on October 7 and the subsequent conflict involving Gaza. Since October, it is estimated that Israeli forces have killed approximately 570 individuals in Lebanon, most of whom are believed to be Hezbollah members, but at least 118 have also been confirmed as civilians, according to a tally from the AFP news agency.
During the same timeframe, Israel’s airstrikes against Lebanon have exceeded 6,500. On the Israeli side, the number of soldiers killed has risen to 22, with 26 civilians reported to have lost their lives according to military sources. Tensions escalated following a deadly rocket attack in July that killed at least 12 people, many of whom were children, in a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel holds Hezbollah responsible for this incident, as well as for the attack that resulted in the death of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in the outskirts of Beirut.
Hezbollah has promised to retaliate against these attacks, while Iran has threatened revenge for the killing of Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. The numerous fatalities and threats of retaliation have raised concerns that the situation may escalate regionally.
Since the last conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, this pro-Iran armed group has reportedly strengthened its military capabilities, according to analysts. On Friday, Hezbollah released a video that allegedly shows its soldiers transporting large missiles through tunnels in an underground facility in Lebanon. Riad Kahwaji, the head of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, described the video as “the most explicit Hezbollah has ever released,” suggesting that its purpose is to deter Israel from launching larger operations against them.
Hezbollah has repeatedly stated that only a ceasefire in Gaza will halt its attacks on Israeli forces in northern Israel. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the country is “prepared both defensively and offensively” and is “determined” to defend itself against both Hezbollah and Iran. Pressure is mounting on Israel to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which would likely prevent a broader war involving both Lebanon and Tehran.