Jerusalem/Beirut, Aug 2026 : Hezbollah has condemned recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of deliberately escalating the conflict for political purposes and warning that continued attacks could further widen the confrontation.
The Iran-backed group said Israeli strikes on the towns of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani had killed at least 11 people, including women and children, and wounded others. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health had earlier confirmed the death toll.
Hezbollah accused Netanyahu of exploiting the conflict to serve his domestic political interests and satisfy what it described as his political ambitions.
“This Israeli escalation, through targeting civilians and expanding the circle of areas targeted, reflects the desire and will of the criminal enemy Prime Minister Netanyahu to escalate the war in order to bolster his domestic political standing, serve his electoral objectives, and satisfy the far right,” the group said.
It also held Israel and the United States responsible for what it called continued aggression and violations of Lebanese sovereignty, alleging that Washington had provided political and military support for Israeli operations.
“The continuation of this aggression and violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty is the responsibility of the enemy government and the United States, which provides it with support and cover,” Hezbollah said.
The group also criticised the Lebanese government for pursuing what it called the “humiliating path of direct negotiations” with Israel. It accused Lebanese officials of making concessions to Israel and said President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had previously criticised Israel’s military operations.
Hezbollah further maintained that it had repeatedly participated in negotiations through US mediation and that several agreements had been reached with Israel in the past. However, it accused Israel and Washington of subsequently rejecting those arrangements.
Under a US-led framework agreed in June, Israeli forces were expected to withdraw from security zones in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army assuming control of the areas.
However, Israel has said it will not withdraw from the zones until Hezbollah disarms and Lebanese security forces have established full authority across the country.
Israel, meanwhile, strongly rejected Hezbollah’s accusations and defended its military operations in southern Lebanon. The Israeli government accused the Iran-backed group of using civilians as human shields at sites from which it had previously attacked Israeli forces.
“Hezbollah is willing to do anything, including using its own civilians as human shields, to falsely accuse Israel of deliberately targeting civilians,” an Israeli Prime Minister’s Office statement said.
The statement came after Hezbollah accused Israel of deliberately striking civilian areas in southern Lebanon.
According to the Israeli military, a Hezbollah attack in the area had seriously wounded three Israeli soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces also said at least 11 people were killed in two Israeli strikes in Deir El Zahrani and Ansar, around 10 miles apart and both located close to the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The IDF identified one of those killed as Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, described as a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, the group’s special operations unit.
Israeli authorities said Al-Haj Hassan had been involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces in the past and was present at a military headquarters at the time of the strike. The IDF said he and members of his family were killed.
“It should be emphasised that the family members were not the target of the strike,” the Israeli military said, adding that the operation was specifically directed against Hassan, whom it described as a lawful military target under international law.
The IDF further accused Hezbollah of using civilian locations to conceal military activities. “The terrorist used his family as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” it said.
The Israeli military warned that Hezbollah’s continued activities could trigger further military action, saying attacks against Israeli forces would receive what it described as an appropriate response.
The latest exchange of accusations underscores the fragile security situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, where tensions remain high despite diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed escalation.
While Hezbollah insists that Israel is responsible for the latest escalation, Israel maintains that its strikes are directed at Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and personnel. The competing claims have further complicated international efforts to consolidate the ceasefire arrangements and restore stability in southern Lebanon.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
