Israeli Airstrikes Kill at Least 25 in Lebanon, Including Mayor, Hezbollah Commander

Israeli airstrikes pounded areas across Lebanon, leaving at least 25 people dead, The Associated Press reports.

The attacks targeted key Hezbollah figures and facilities, escalating the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group.

In the southern town of Qana, at least 15 people were killed in a strike that Israel claimed targeted Hezbollah commander Jalal Mustafa Hariri. The town holds a painful history of Israeli attacks, with previous bombardments in 1996 and 2006 resulting in heavy civilian casualties. Graphic images from the latest strike showed flattened and collapsed buildings, highlighting the devastating impact.

The Israeli military claimed the target was a Hezbollah command center and that it had taken steps to minimize civilian casualties. However, Lebanese officials condemned the attack as a deliberate targeting of civilians.

Adding to the tragedy, the mayor of Nabatiyeh, a city in southern Lebanon, was among those killed in an airstrike. Lebanese officials alleged the strike specifically targeted a meeting of municipal council members coordinating relief efforts. At least six people were killed in the attack, with more than 40 injured.

Across Lebanon, Israeli strikes continued throughout the day, targeting areas in the eastern Bekaa Valley and Nabatiyeh, with the Israeli military claiming to have hit Hezbollah command centers and weapons facilities.

Despite a six-day pause, Israel resumed airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting what they described as an arms warehouse located beneath an apartment building. The military issued an evacuation warning prior to the strike, and there were no reports of casualties.

In response to the escalating violence, Hezbollah fired over 90 projectiles towards Israel, injuring four civilians, according to Israel Rescue Services.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during an assessment of the situation in Israel’s north, stated that intelligence gleaned from captured Hezbollah militants was significantly weakening the group’s ability to launch attacks. He reiterated Israel’s policy of “negotiations under fire,” a strategy previously employed in past conflicts.

The ongoing strikes have sparked international concern and calls for de-escalation.