Deadly dawn in south Lebanon: 11 killed in Israeli strikes on Ansar and Deir el-Zahrani

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Since 3:30 a.m., southern Lebanon has woken up to one of the deadliest days since the large-scale fighting ended last June.

Inside a house in Ansar, two families who had been displaced from their areas during the previous war were seeking shelter in what they hoped would be a safer location.

The strike killed seven people, including children and two women, and wounded others, turning their displacement from war into death in a place of refuge.

The strike on Ansar was not the only attack.

Israeli aircraft carried out a series of strikes during the early morning hours targeting Ali al-Taher heights and areas around Nabatieh.

The strikes resumed at around 11:30 a.m., this time targeting the town of Deir el-Zahrani.

The attack killed four people and wounded several others, bringing the death toll from Israeli strikes within a few hours to 11, with additional injuries reported.

The Israeli military said it targeted what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in Ansar and Ali al-Taher, claiming the strikes were carried out in response to an operation targeting its soldiers inside what it calls the “security zone” in southern Lebanon, referring to areas where its forces are deployed.

However, the Israeli statement did not provide details about the alleged Hezbollah operation, including its nature, location, timing or any resulting casualties.

Hezbollah has not issued any statement claiming responsibility for a new operation.

The strikes, along with fears that they could expand, prompted large numbers of southern residents to leave their areas. Cars crowded main roads, particularly the coastal highway, causing severe traffic congestion.

It was another wave of displacement for residents, some of whom had not yet recovered from their previous displacement, as Israeli strikes shifted from repeated ceasefire violations to direct pressure on civilians.

From a military perspective, the targeted areas hold significance beyond the locations of the strikes themselves. Ansar and Deir el-Zahrani are located in the area surrounding the Nabatieh front and Ali al-Taher heights, which military assessments consider one of Hezbollah’s key defensive lines behind the front lines.

The expansion of the strikes raises a key question: Was what happened merely a limited Israeli response to the operation the Israeli military says targeted its soldiers? Or does it signal preparations for a broader military operation that could move the confrontation from the front lines deeper into southern Lebanon?

There is no definitive answer yet. What remains clear is that details of the Israeli justification remain unclear, while the Lebanese civilian death toll is evident beneath the rubble.