At least two killed in suspected Israeli strike in south Lebanon

A suspected Israeli strike rocked southern Lebanon late Thursday night local time, killing at least two people amid increasing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. 

The strike hit around 11:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. ET) between the towns of Jannata and Deir Qanoun En Nahr, killing two women and injuring 19 other people, including children, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported. Jannata is in the Tyre district, some 20 miles (33 kilometers) from the border with Israel. The Israeli military carried out a strike in the same district on Tuesday, killing a senior Hezbollah commander.

Hezbollah confirmed the death of the two women, identified as Sally Sakiki and Dalal Izz al-Din. Sakiki was reportedly in her early 20s and a paramedic in the Islamic Risala Scout Association. Izz al-Din was preparing to fly to Africa to meet with her family for Eid al-Adha when the strike hit, according to local reports.

However, rumors spread widely on social media that a targeted Israeli strike had killed three high-level Hezbollah officials — Hashem Safieddine, head of the movement's Executive Council and a cousin of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah; Subhi al-Tufayli, a former leader; and Naim Qassem, the organization's deputy chief. So far, neither Hezbollah nor the Israeli military has commented on the rumors.