The death toll resulting from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has now reached 10, as reported by Lebanese state media on Thursday. This makes the preceding day the deadliest in over four months of ongoing cross-border exchanges. Following the strikes, Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, has pledged retaliation. The airstrikes targeted the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, occurring shortly after projectiles launched from Lebanon claimed the life of an Israeli soldier.
Seven members of one family
In Nabatiyeh, the strike caused the collapse of a building, resulting in the deaths of seven members of a single family, including a child, according to the state-run National News Agency. Initially, reports indicated four fatalities, but a missing boy was later found alive under the rubble. The previous day’s exchange also saw fire from Lebanon striking the northern Israeli town of Safed, resulting in the death of a female Israeli soldier and injuring eight others.
These casualties represent a significant escalation in the ongoing cross-border clashes that commenced with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on October 7. This war began with a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, in southern Israel. In response to the airstrikes, government institutions, schools, and the Lebanese University announced closures on Thursday in protest.
Israel attributed its response to a Hezbollah rocket attack that killed one of its soldiers. Amidst the escalating tensions, both Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been engaged in continuous exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border.
More to read:Drive-by shooting at Atlanta school leaves atleast 4 students wounded
Hezbollah has not formally announced any operations , but the head of its executive council emphasized that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon will not go unanswered. Israel’s military, on the other hand, reiterated its stance of responding forcefully to provocations, citing the necessity for peace and security for its citizens. As the conflict persists, casualties mount on both sides, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes in border areas.