ISRAELI STRIKES KILL MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN LEBANON AS PRESIDENT SEEKS US...

Israeli strikes on Sunday killed multiple people in Lebanon, according to two separate reports which gave conflicting casualty figures. One report stated at least four people died, whilst another put the death toll at seven. The strikes damaged government premises and destroyed an out-of-service hospital, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement. Aoun described the strikes as "a dangerous escalation… reaching Lebanese state institutions" and health facilities, and called on the US and other countries "to urgently act to stop these violations".

Israel said it had targeted Hezbollah operatives and sites in response to a drone attack a day earlier by the Iran-backed group on its troops in the vicinity of a strategic south Lebanon ridge. Israel reported no casualties and accused Hezbollah of a "blatant violation". The strikes occurred despite a truce and framework deal aimed at halting violence between the two sides. Israel this week said it had captured the Nabatieh-area Ali al-Taher ridge, which it considers part of its self-declared "security zone" in south Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has not claimed any attacks for weeks, has not commented on Israel's declaration of control over the ridge or on the strikes themselves. The incident marks a significant breach of the stated ceasefire arrangements between Israeli and Lebanese forces. Aoun's appeal to Washington and the international community underscores the fragility of the current arrangement and the ongoing tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.