Lebanon’s president appeals to US for help as Israeli strikes kill 7

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged Washington and the international community to help stop Israeli attacks, which killed at least seven people on Sunday despite a truce and a framework deal aimed at halting the violence.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 Lebanon" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="6544" data-entity-type="location">South Lebanon ridge.It reported no casualties but accused Hezbollah of a “blatant violation”.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 Lebanon" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="6544" data-entity-type="location">South Lebanon.Hezbollah, which has not claimed any attacks for weeks, has not commented on Israel’s declaration of control over the site.Aoun said Sunday’s strikes, which damaged government premises and destroyed an out-of-service hospital, were “a dangerous escalation … reaching Lebanese state institutions” and health facilities.