International condemnation follows Israeli strike killing Lebanese army officers

At least 12 people, including high-ranking army officers, have been killed in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon. According to Al Jazeera, Lebanon’s army said on Saturday that a brigadier general, a captain, and a soldier were killed in an Israeli strike on a military vehicle on the Khardali-Nabatieh road. The Lebanese army condemned the attack, stating that "the continuation of the deliberate and repeated brutal Israeli aggression … is aimed at thwarting all efforts to reach a solution."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as a "flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and of international laws and norms." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described it as "a heinous crime and an attack on Lebanon and all Lebanese people," extending condolences to the families of Brigadier General Wassam Sabra, Captain Elie Khoury, and soldier Hussein Ghozal. Later, the army announced that its commander General Rudolf Haykal was heading to Pakistan for talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Hezbollah dubbed the attack a "heinous crime" and accused the Lebanese government of exposing the country to bloodshed through "complete surrender to the enemy’s demands in Washington." Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the killing reaffirms that Israel "is laying claim to Lebanon in all its components," describing it as "a heinous crime against Lebanon, its army, and its sovereignty." Saudi Arabia condemned "the continuing Israeli aggression against the sisterly Lebanese Republic," rejecting any targeting of Lebanon’s sovereignty. Jordan also condemned the attack as a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty, security, and stability of brotherly Lebanon" and called for an immediate halt to Israeli aggressions and consolidation of the ceasefire agreement.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed condolences and stated that "such attacks in Lebanese territory constitute gross violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and Security Council Resolution 1701." That resolution ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and formed the basis of a November 2024 truce. According to Mehr News Agency, the international community continues to voice strong condemnation of the Israeli strike.