Netanyahu's office claims 3 Israeli soldiers wounded in Hezbollah attack near border

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed Saturday that three Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded in an attack it said was carried out by Hezbollah near the border, as Israel stepped up military strikes against Lebanon.

"This morning (Saturday) Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking our soldiers in the security zone, which protects Israeli communities just across the border," the army said in a statement.

It claimed the soldiers were "seriously injured" in the attack and accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon.

The Israeli army responded by targeting what it said was Hezbollah headquarters, according to the statement.

There was no immediate comment from Lebanese authorities or Hezbollah on the Israeli claims.

The Israeli army later claimed it targeted Hezbollah headquarters in the southern Lebanese town of Ansar, killing Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, whom it identified as a battalion commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force. Several other Hezbollah members were also killed, the army said in a statement.

- Deadly Israeli strikes

Israel carried out its heaviest attacks on southern Lebanon since the June 26 framework agreement, killing 11 people and wounding 19, including women and children, according to the latest figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Israeli airstrikes targeted several areas in the south, including the towns of Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh district. The Israeli army also shelled Ali al-Taher hill with phosphorus shells and carried out two airstrikes near the Teachers' Training Institute and the Husseini Club in Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

The Israeli army claimed its attacks were in response to an action by Hezbollah against its forces on Ali al-Taher heights, which lie within what Israel calls its "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, however, said in a statement that the Israeli escalation, including attacks on civilians and the expansion of targeted areas, reflected Netanyahu's desire to escalate the war to strengthen his domestic political position, serve his electoral interests and appease the far right.

The escalation came despite Lebanon and Israel signing the framework agreement that calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and continued negotiations between the two sides.

Despite months of negotiations, Israel has continued its military campaign against Lebanon, which began March 2 and has killed 4,335 people, wounded 12,277 and displaced more than 1 million, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israel continues to occupy areas of southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the 2023-2024 war. Its forces have advanced more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.