Hezbollah condemns the Israeli raids on southern Lebanon and holds Washington responsible

Hezbollah said in a statement that the Lebanese woke up at dawn today to an escalation of aggression, noting that the Israeli strikes targeted a house on the outskirts of the southern town of Ansar and a building in Deir Al-Zahrani.

He added that the bombing killed 11 people, including children and women, and injured 12 others, considering that the attacks represent an Israeli escalation and expansion of the scope of the targeted areas in southern Lebanon.

The party accused the Israeli government of responsibility for the escalation, and linked the attacks to internal political considerations related to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while holding the United States responsible for what it described as providing “support and cover” for Israel.

Hezbollah called on the Lebanese authorities to reconsider their course of dealing with the escalation, calling on them to search for means to stop Israeli attacks and preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty, and at the same time criticized the continuation of direct negotiations with Israel through American mediation.

The party also criticized the statements of the American ambassador to Lebanon regarding its weapons, considering that the priority should be to pressure Israel to withdraw from the areas it still occupies in Lebanon, and not to demand the disarmament of the resistance.

Hezbollah said that betting on American guarantees and mediation would not lead to protecting Lebanon's sovereignty, accusing Washington of siding with Israel.

In an escalatory tone, the party warned that the continuation of Israeli attacks and attempts to “impose a fait accompli” in Lebanon would not be sustainable, stressing that these attacks “will be met with what suits them” in defense of Lebanon, its people and its sovereignty.

South Lebanon witnessed a remarkable Israeli escalation at dawn on Saturday, with raids being carried out on the towns of Ansar and Deir Al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh region, which according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health resulted in the killing of 9 people and the injury of more than 11 others, including children.

In one of the strikes, a house was targeted on the outskirts of Ansar, killing 7 people, including 3 children, while a raid on Al-Zahrani Monastery resulted in the killing of 2 people and wounding 9 others.

Israel says that its strikes targeted sites and facilities belonging to Hezbollah, while the party did not claim responsibility for the security incident, which Israel says preceded the recent escalation.