Israel initiates air attacks on a town situated in southern Lebanon
Israeli air raids struck a municipal building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. As per the Lebanese Health Ministry's statement, the loss of life stands at 16, including the mayor himself, with an additional 52 individuals reporting injuries. The UN expresses their concern strongly. Israel claims responsibility for striking down Hezbollah's objectives.
Reports claim that a series of intense Israeli airstrikes targeted the city of Nabatiyeh and its surrounding areas. The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported at least seven air strikes in the city. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry's communique, the municipal building was the site of the attack, resulting in 16 fatalities and 52 injuries. The NNA also confirmed the death of the city's mayor, Ahmad Kahil. Governor Huwaida Turk also verified his demise.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, expressed concern over the reports of Kahil's death, remarking upon the latest incidence of civilians and civilian targets being harmed in Lebanon. Social media videos depicted black smoke billowing in the area.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati labeled the attack on the municipal building as a "crime." Mikati asserted that the airstrike targeted a meeting addressing the humanitarian situation. He accused the international community of remaining silent on Israeli attacks against civilians, questioning, "What solution can we anticipate under such circumstances?"
Casualties in Kana
The Israeli military declared the destruction of numerous Hezbollah terrorist targets and the underground infrastructure of the Radwan elite unit in the Nabatiyeh area. However, no evidence was presented. In further air raids on the town of Kana in Lebanon, three individuals were reported dead, and 54 sustained injuries, as per official records. In the eastern part of the country, two people lost their lives, and nine more were injured in Israeli airstrikes.
The Lebanese Civil Defense had reported 15 fatalities in an attack on Kana the previous night. The Israeli military had accused the Hezbollah commander of the region, Jalaa Mustafa Hariri, of being the target of the Kana airstrike on Wednesday evening. He and other Hezbollah fighters were killed in the incident. AP news agency reporters observed over a dozen impact craters and several destroyed buildings. In others, the upper floors had caved in. Bodies were transported, and heavy machinery was utilized to search for survivors beneath the debris.
The European Union, expressing their concern over the escalating tensions, issued a statement condemning the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, specifically the attack on the municipal building in Nabatiyeh and the subsequent loss of life and injuries.
In light of the European Union's statement, calls for international intervention and a ceasefire in Lebanon have intensified, with many advocating for the protection of civilian targets and the promotion of peace talks between the involved parties.
