Lebanese Civilians, Rescue Workers among 21 Killed in Israeli Strikes

Nine people were killed and 38 others wounded in a strike on Haret Saida, near Sidon’s port city, according to the ministry.

Seven people, including a nurse and three rescue workers, died in an attack on the southern village of Ain Baal, while five others were killed in Burj al-Shemali.

AFP reported that the airstrike in Haret Saida destroyed the top floor of a three-story building, located roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Israeli border. Surrounding structures also sustained damage.

The area has become a refuge for civilians fleeing other parts of southern Lebanon since Israel began its offensive against Hezbollah in September.

Reports indicated that Israel did not provide advance warnings to evacuate the targeted zone prior to the strike.

Among the casualties in Ain Baal were three emergency workers from a center run by the Al-Rissala Association, a charity affiliated with the Amal political movement.

The Lebanese health ministry confirmed that a nurse and three others were also killed in the attack.

The head of Burj al-Shemali’s municipality reported that an Israeli drone strike near a school managed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees caused further fatalities.

Since October 2023, Israel has carried out sustained strikes on Lebanon following Hezbollah’s announcement of a “support front” in response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.

So far, 2,504 Lebanese citizens have been killed and 11,666 wounded due to the intensifying Israeli attacks.

Hezbollah has launched retaliatory operations against targets in the occupied Palestinian territories in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression.