Lebanon says Israeli strike kills six people, including a child

A deadly Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has left six people dead — among them two rescuers and a child — according to the Lebanese health ministry, underscoring the volatility that persists despite a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The ministry said in a statement that “six people were martyred” in the strike on the village of Deir Qanun al-Nahr, including two rescuers from the Risala Scouts association, one of whom also worked as a freelance photographer, as well as a Syrian girl.

The association is affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement.

The ministry also said an earlier strike on the southern town of Hanaway killed four rescuers from the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee.

In its own statement, the army said it “affirms that all officers and members of the military institution are performing their national duties with utmost professionalism, responsibility, and discipline, in accordance with the decisions and directives issued by the army command”.

It stressed that “the loyalty of military personnel is solely to the military institution and the nation, and that they are committed to fulfilling their national duties without any other considerations or pressures”, adding that it had not been notified in advance of the sanctions.

The United States imposed sanctions on what it described as nine Hezbollah-linked individuals in Lebanon, including army colonel Samir Hamadi and Khattar Nasser Eldin, an officer in another state security service.

Washington said Hamadi and Nasser Eldin “shared important intelligence” with Hezbollah over the past year.

The move was the first time the US had sanctioned Lebanese officers.

Hezbollah on Friday denounced the sanctions, describing them as “an attempt to intimidate the free Lebanese people in order to bolster the Zionist aggression against our country”.