Israel probes strike that killed high-ranking Lebanese commander

The Israeli military has launched an investigation after a strike in southern Lebanon killed three members of the Lebanese Armed Forces, including a brigadier-general.

Lebanon condemned the attack as a deliberate act of aggression, while Israel said the vehicle was operating in an active combat zone near Nabatieh and had been behaving suspiciously amid reports of gunfire.

The incident occurred as fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement continues across southern Lebanon, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.

Israel maintains that its operations are directed at Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese military and says it carried out attacks on around 150 Hezbollah-linked sites over the weekend, including alleged weapons depots and command facilities.

The victims have been named as Brigadier-General Samer Sabra, Captain Elie Khoury, and Private Hassan Ghazal.

The deaths have further inflamed tensions at a time when ceasefire negotiations remain stalled. Hezbollah has rejected a proposed US-backed agreement, while Lebanon’s government continues to push for an end to the conflict. The war has claimed thousands of lives in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, with recent efforts to broker a lasting truce yet to achieve a breakthrough.