Israeli Strikes Kill 9 Civilians In Lebanon, Including 4 Children: Report

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of nine civilians, including four children, according to Lebanese security sources.

What Happened: The Israeli strikes on Wednesday targeted villages in southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians, including four children, as reported by Reuters citing a hospital director and three Lebanese security sources. The strikes were in response to Hezbollah rockets that killed an Israeli soldier.

The Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli military have been engaged in a four-month-long exchange of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border. This conflict began when Hezbollah launched rockets across the disputed frontier in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas.

Among the casualties were a woman and her two children in an Israeli strike on the village of al-Sawana. In Nabatieh, a strike on a building resulted in the deaths of two children, three women, and a man. Seven others were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

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Four Hezbollah fighters were also killed in separate strikes, as confirmed by the group and security sources in the report.

A spokesperson from the Israeli government informed journalists that rocket barrages originating from Lebanon on Wednesday morning resulted in the death of one Israeli female soldier and the hospitalization of eight others. “As we have made clear time and time again, Israel is not interested in a war on two fronts. But if provoked, we will respond forcefully,” said spokesperson Ilana Stein.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated during a televised address on Tuesday that his group would cease its exchanges of fire only if a comprehensive ceasefire for Gaza was achieved.

Why It Matters: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in a significant number of casualties and displaced individuals. This latest escalation comes amid a series of recent events in the region.

In January, the Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said that war in Lebanon was becoming an increasing likelihood as the country looked to return displaced Israelis to northern areas close to the Lebanese border.

Amid the ongoing conflict, China has issued a warning to Israel, cautioning of a potential "serious humanitarian disaster" in Gaza. This comes amid mounting international pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas.

Cross-border shelling has claimed over 200 lives in Lebanon, including 170 Hezbollah fighters, and around a dozen Israeli troops and five civilians. Tens of thousands in border areas of both countries have been displaced, according to the report.

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Israel army. Photo via Shutterstock.