BEIRUT — Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon have killed at least nine people, the Lebanese health ministry has said.Eight people, including a child and two women, were killed in one strike that destroyed a residential building in Kfar Roummane overnight, according to the ministry. A second strike on a vehicle killed a paramedic.The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.On Sunday, Israeli strikes killed seven people across southern Lebanon, as the Israeli military retaliated for what it said were drone attacks by the Shia Muslim armed group Hezbollah on troops in occupied areas of the country.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the “dangerous escalation” was jeopardising June’s US-brokered ceasefire, which was meant to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.He urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks.They have happened in places near the strip of territory that is occupied by Israeli troops, and large numbers of residents have again been fleeing those areas.The latest attacks targeted Kfar Roummane, in Nabatieh district, which is only a few hundred metres from what the Israeli military calls its “security zone”.The first air strike destroyed a three-storey residential building near the town’s Shuyuiya roundabout shortly after midnight, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.The Lebanese health ministry said that in addition to the eight people killed, 11 were injured, including four children, two women, and a paramedic from the Islamic Health Association, which is an emergency service linked to Hezbollah.The second strike hit a vehicle carrying paramedics from the Islamic Risala Scout Association, killing one of them and injuring two others, according to the ministry. The Risala Scouts is an emergency service affiliated with the Amal movement, a Shia group allied to Hezbollah.An initial report from the NNA said 11 people were killed in the two strikes.The health ministry said the death toll “serves as further irrefutable evidence of the grave violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli occupation, targeting medics and children”.Although there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, the Israeli foreign ministry accused Hezbollah of “repeated drone attacks” and “attempting to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon”.The ministry also said the Iran-backed group had violated the ceasefire agreement.The trilateral framework agreed by Lebanon, Israel and the US calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area.At least 4,362 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 395 women and 259 children since the latest conflict began on March 2, according to the health ministry.Israeli authorities say 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the conflict.Meanwhile, Lebanese President Aoun said Beirut supports renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and welcomed a French-Italian initiative for an international presence after the UN mission ends, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).“Lebanon supports the renewal of the international force in the south, and we are working with (French) President (Emmanuel) Macron to facilitate the renewal,” Aoun said during a meeting with French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday, NNA reported.He also welcomed the French-Italian initiative to form a European force to fill the vacuum following UNIFIL’s withdrawal.Aoun said he will visit Paris next week to join Macron at the opening of a preparatory meeting for an international conference to support the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces and to discuss the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon.France and Italy announced an initiative in June to launch an international coalition, in coordination with the EU and UN, aimed at developing a mechanism for the post-UNIFIL period and preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon.Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani later said Rome could contribute troops to an international post-UNIFIL mission, while stressing that any deployment would require a multilateral agreement.Separately, the EU is planning a mission to advise and train the Lebanese armed forces, including in border and maritime security. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last week that the initiative is not intended to replace UNIFIL but to strengthen Lebanon’s ability to provide its own security.BEIRUT — Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon have killed at least nine people, the Lebanese health ministry has said.Eight people, including a child and two women, were killed in one strike that destroyed a residential building in Kfar Roummane overnight, according to the ministry. A second strike on a vehicle killed a paramedic.The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.On Sunday, Israeli strikes killed seven people across southern Lebanon, as the Israeli military retaliated for what it said were drone attacks by the Shia Muslim armed group Hezbollah on troops in occupied areas of the country.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the “dangerous escalation” was jeopardising June’s US-brokered ceasefire, which was meant to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.He urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks.They have happened in places near the strip of territory that is occupied by Israeli troops, and large numbers of residents have again been fleeing those areas.The latest attacks targeted Kfar Roummane, in Nabatieh district, which is only a few hundred metres from what the Israeli military calls its “security zone”.The first air strike destroyed a three-storey residential building near the town’s Shuyuiya roundabout shortly after midnight, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.The Lebanese health ministry said that in addition to the eight people killed, 11 were injured, including four children, two women, and a paramedic from the Islamic Health Association, which is an emergency service linked to Hezbollah.The second strike hit a vehicle carrying paramedics from the Islamic Risala Scout Association, killing one of them and injuring two others, according to the ministry. The Risala Scouts is an emergency service affiliated with the Amal movement, a Shia group allied to Hezbollah.An initial report from the NNA said 11 people were killed in the two strikes.The health ministry said the death toll “serves as further irrefutable evidence of the grave violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli occupation, targeting medics and children”.Although there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, the Israeli foreign ministry accused Hezbollah of “repeated drone attacks” and “attempting to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon”.The ministry also said the Iran-backed group had violated the ceasefire agreement.The trilateral framework agreed by Lebanon, Israel and the US calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area.At least 4,362 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 395 women and 259 children since the latest conflict began on March 2, according to the health ministry.Israeli authorities say 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the conflict.Meanwhile, Lebanese President Aoun said Beirut supports renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and welcomed a French-Italian initiative for an international presence after the UN mission ends, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).“Lebanon supports the renewal of the international force in the south, and we are working with (French) President (Emmanuel) Macron to facilitate the renewal,” Aoun said during a meeting with French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday, NNA reported.He also welcomed the French-Italian initiative to form a European force to fill the vacuum following UNIFIL’s withdrawal.Aoun said he will visit Paris next week to join Macron at the opening of a preparatory meeting for an international conference to support the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces and to discuss the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon.France and Italy announced an initiative in June to launch an international coalition, in coordination with the EU and UN, aimed at developing a mechanism for the post-UNIFIL period and preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon.Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani later said Rome could contribute troops to an international post-UNIFIL mission, while stressing that any deployment would require a multilateral agreement.Separately, the EU is planning a mission to advise and train the Lebanese armed forces, including in border and maritime security. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last week that the initiative is not intended to replace UNIFIL but to strengthen Lebanon’s ability to provide its own security.
