The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday following some of the strongest strikes in southern Lebanon since the implementation of a U.S.-led trilateral agreement in late June.
Hezbollah said the strikes in Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani killed 11 people, including women and children, and injured 12 others. The Lebanese Ministry of Health had earlier put the death toll at nine.
“This Israeli escalation, through targeting civilians and expanding the circle of areas targeted, reflects the desire and will of the criminal enemy Prime Minister Netanyahu to escalate the war in order to bolster his domestic political standing, serve his electoral objectives, and satisfy the far right,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
“The continuation of this aggression and violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty is the responsibility of the enemy government and the United States, which provides it with support and cover,” the statement continued.
Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images
Hezbollah also condemned the Lebanese government for “the humiliating path of direct negotiations and offering free gifts to the enemy,” even though Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam directly criticized Israel for the strikes on Saturday.
Lebanon has repeatedly taken part in negotiations with Israel, usually led by the United States, and made peace agreements, even though the Iranian proxy Hezbollah was not involved in the talks and subsequently rejected all of them.
Despite agreeing to the U.S.-led trilateral agreement, which was to include Israeli forces exiting security zones in southern Lebanon to be replaced by the Lebanese army, Israel has said it has no plans to evacuate the area anytime soon.
