On Wednesday, six Lebanese individuals, including a local official, were killed in Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Nabatieh municipality and the Union of Municipalities in southern Lebanon, according to two security sources and preliminary data from the Ministry of Health.
Details of the Airstrikes
Houda Turk, the governor of Nabatieh, informed the French press agency that 11 Israeli airstrikes hit the city of Nabatieh during the afternoon, creating what she described as a “fire belt.” Among the deceased was Ahmad Kahil, the mayor of Nabatieh, along with several members of his team.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health’s emergency operations center reported that the Israeli attack on the municipal buildings resulted in the initial death toll of five individuals, with rescue efforts still ongoing to clear the debris.
Intentional Targeting
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned Israel for deliberately targeting a meeting of the Nabatieh municipality, which resulted in the deaths of the mayor and several council members and employees. In a statement, Mikati criticized the latest aggression against the city and the ongoing crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against civilians, stating that this violence reflects the world’s deliberate silence, which he believes emboldens Israel to continue its aggression.
Mikati questioned the effectiveness of seeking a ceasefire through the UN Security Council if the international community remains unable to deter what he described as “described aggression against the Lebanese people.”
Israeli Military Claims
In response to the airstrikes, the Israeli military announced it had targeted numerous sites belonging to Hezbollah in the Nabatieh region and claimed to have dismantled what it referred to as “underground infrastructure.”
This incident coincides with ongoing Israeli air raids across several Lebanese regions, including the southern suburbs of Beirut. On the same day, Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes in Haret Hreik, marking the first attacks in that area in several days. Reports indicate that an Israeli drone targeted a building in Haret Hreik with a missile, followed by a second strike from a fighter jet.
Continuing Conflict
Since September 23, Israel has been waging an unprecedentedly intense and deadly campaign against Lebanon, with airstrikes hitting even the capital, Beirut, alongside a ground incursion that began in the south, all while ignoring international warnings and UN resolutions.
In response, Hezbollah has been launching rockets, drones, and artillery shells targeting military sites and settlements throughout Israel on a daily basis.
