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An Israeli airstrike struck a Lebanese army vehicle on the Kfartebnit-Khardali road in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing a brigadier general, a captain, and a soldier in the deadliest single incident involving the Lebanese Armed Forces during the current conflict.
Israeli strikes across the south killed at least seven more people, bringing the day's toll to 10 dead, according to Lebanese officials and the Lebanese army.
The Lebanese army said the strike hit a military vehicle on the road between Kfartebnit and Khardali in the Nabatieh district, killing two officers of the ranks of brigadier general and captain and one soldier.
Lebanese President Aoun condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," calling it "a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and of international laws and norms," and called on the international community to "assume its responsibility and put an end to these repeated attacks."
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying it identified a vehicle "moving suspiciously" toward its forces near the village of Kfar Tebnit in "an active combat and evacuated area," and that troops had been on alert regarding potential Hezbollah attacks from that location.
"Following the identification, and due to the warning information and the danger to the forces, the vehicle was struck," the Israeli army said.
An initial Israeli inquiry indicated that two officers and a soldier of the Lebanese Armed Forces were inside the vehicle. "The IDF is investigating the incident and will draw lessons accordingly," it said, adding that it "operates against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and not against the Lebanese army" and that movement through a combat zone "requires coordination with the IDF."
Hezbollah called the strike "a heinous crime" and accused the Lebanese government of exposing its own country to bloodshed through what it described as "complete surrender to the enemy's demands in Washington."
The Lebanese army said the "continuation of the deliberate and repeated brutal Israeli aggression is aimed at thwarting all efforts to reach a solution."
More than 3,550 people have been killed and over 10,800 injured in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanese officials.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has nominally been in effect since April 17, but has never been fully observed.
A further conditional truce was announced this week in Washington, requiring Hezbollah to halt fire, withdraw from near the Israeli border, and allow the Lebanese army to deploy exclusively to new "pilot zones" in the south.
Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory.
Aoun said in a CNN interview aired Friday that Iran must stop interfering in Lebanon. "It's not your country; it's our country," he said, adding, "They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States. It's unacceptable."
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