Israeli airstrikes in a southern Lebanese town resulted in the deaths of at least 12 individuals, including two children, early on Monday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. This incident marked one of the deadliest days of Israeli attacks in recent weeks.
Concerns are growing in Lebanon about a potential Israeli military campaign following days of escalating airstrikes, despite a ceasefire in June that aimed to stop hostilities between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group.
Witnesses reported that one of the strikes hit a residential building while children were preparing for school. The Israeli military stated that the target was people observed transferring weapons in the vicinity of Kfar Rumman town.
At the scene, schoolbooks belonging to children were scattered among the debris of the destroyed building. Rescue teams used heavy machinery to recover bodies buried under the rubble.
One of the victims, eight-year-old Mustafa Farhat, lost his mother, grandparents, and other relatives in the attack. As he received treatment in the hospital, rescue workers continued to search for his father’s body.
An evacuation warning was not issued by the Israeli military before the strikes on the town. The military stated that precautions were taken to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance. They are investigating reports of civilian casualties resulting from the attacks.
In response to an earlier incident where Hezbollah allegedly launched explosive drones towards Israeli troops near the Ali al-Taher ridge, Israel intensified its strikes on towns in the region. Lebanese security officials anticipate further escalations in the southern areas in the coming weeks.
Since Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel in March, which prompted Israeli retaliation, more than 4,300 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire reducing violence, Israeli forces have continued to demolish villages in the southern region.
Israel’s military has been conducting airstrikes both within the security zone and its northern areas, often without prior evacuation warnings.