The civilian death toll from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has climbed to 10, according to Lebanese state media. This makes Wednesday the deadliest day in over four months of cross-border conflicts between Israel and Lebanon. The strikes hit the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, just hours after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier.
In response to the airstrikes, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has promised retaliation. More Israeli strikes were reported in southern Lebanon on Thursday, and Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the escalation, calling on all sides to avoid further escalation.
The Israeli military stated that Thursday's airstrikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and launch posts. Lebanese state media reported that Israel's air force conducted strikes near the border towns of Labbouneh, Wadi Slouqi, Majdal Selm, and Houla.
The United Nations peacekeeping force deployed along the Lebanon-Israel border, known as UNIFIL, expressed concerns over the recent 'exchanges of fire' and urged all parties involved to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation. UNIFIL's spokesman Andrea Tenenti stated that attacks targeting civilians are violations of international law and constitute war crimes.
One of the strikes in Nabatiyeh demolished part of a building, resulting in the death of seven family members, including a child. Initially, four casualties were reported, but a missing boy was later found alive under the rubble. Hussein Badir, a neighbor of the Berjawi family, expressed his disbelief, stating that the family was 'decent and respectable' and not involved in any conflict.
Another strike in the village of Souaneh claimed the lives of a woman and her two young children. The civilian death toll in Lebanon includes six women and three children. Additionally, three Hezbollah fighters were killed.
The rocket attack from Lebanon earlier in the day hit the northern Israeli town of Safed, killing one female Israeli soldier and injuring eight others, all soldiers. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attack in Safed, but the group stated on Thursday that its fighters had targeted three Israeli posts along the border.
At an event in southern Lebanon, senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Kaouk declared that the militant group was prepared for the possibility of expanding the war. He emphasized that Hezbollah would respond to escalation with escalation, displacement with displacement, and destruction with destruction.
This recent surge in violence signifies a significant escalation in the ongoing conflicts that have been occurring daily for over four months. These clashes initially began after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on October 7. It all started with a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who are allies of Hezbollah, in southern Israel.
In protest of the airstrikes, government institutions, schools, and Lebanese University are set to close on Thursday.
The situation remains tense, and the international community continues to monitor the developments closely.
