Israel kills 11 in south Lebanon amid ceasefire violations

Israel has intensified its military campaign across southern Lebanon, killing 11 people on Friday, while Hezbollah responded by launching missiles and drones at Israeli military bases in retaliation for strikes that included a rare attack on Beirut's southern suburbs that killed a senior Hezbollah commander. The escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreement brokered last month, with both sides citing violations as justification for continued hostilities. Lebanon and Israel, officially at war since 1948, are now set to hold direct negotiations in Washington next week, marking a potential shift in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict that has killed more than 2,750 people in Lebanon since March 2. Hezbollah announced it fired missiles at a base south of the Israeli city of Nahariya and later launched a swarm of drones at another base in northern Israel, stating these attacks were responses to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, including the targeting of Beirut's southern suburbs and civilian areas in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military reported intercepting one launch while others fell in open areas, with no injuries reported. Lebanese health authorities said Israeli strikes in four parts of the south killed 10 people on Friday, including two children and three women, while civil defense officials reported one of their members was also killed. Israel issued evacuation warnings for seven southern Lebanese towns, including Toura, and struck areas near Nabi Sheet in the east. Meanwhile, the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, which operates as Hezbollah's primary financial institution and has been under US sanctions since 2007, resumed operations at its branch in the Haret Khreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern Dahiyya district, according to a Saudi-owned news report. The Central Bank of Lebanon had issued a ban on financial transactions with the association in July 2025 following US pressure. As tensions persist, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with delegation chief Simon Karam ahead of his departure to Washington, receiving "directives outlining Lebanon's firm positions regarding the negotiations." Hezbollah has strongly opposed the direct talks, calling them a "sin" and urging Beirut to withdraw. The EU has provided 100 million euros in humanitarian aid to Lebanon since the conflict began.