Israel strikes southern Lebanon killing 10, including paramedics and a child

Beirut: Amid continuing hostilities despite the fragile US-brokered ceasefire between Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Friday reportedly killed 10 people, including six paramedics and a Syrian girl, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

The ministry said one strike targeted the village of Hanouiyeh, where four paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Association were killed and two others, including a paramedic, were injured, Associated Press reported.

Another strike in the village of Deir Qanoun al Nahr in Tyre province reportedly killed six people, including a Syrian child and two paramedics linked to the Al-Risala Scouts Association, which is affiliated with Hezbollah ally Amal Movement. The ministry added that six others were injured, among them three paramedics and a Syrian woman.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry described the attacks as violations of international law.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization said it had documented 169 attacks on healthcare workers and medical facilities in Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began, resulting in 116 deaths.

The Israeli military stated that it had struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the Hanouiyeh area where Hezbollah members were allegedly present. It added that it was reviewing reports that uninvolved individuals may also have been harmed and claimed that measures such as aerial surveillance and precision munitions had been used to reduce civilian casualties.

The military further said that soldiers identified a Hezbollah member travelling on a motorcycle in Deir Qanoun al Nahr and carried out a strike to eliminate what it described as a threat. According to the army, another Hezbollah member on a motorcycle in the same area was later targeted as well.

The Israeli military has previously accused Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, of using ambulances to conceal militant activity, though it has not publicly presented evidence for the allegation.

Cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have continued despite the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said earlier this week that the death toll from the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah had crossed 3,000.

According to reports, the current phase of the conflict began on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, two days after the US and Israel initiated attacks on Iran, a major backer of the Lebanese militant group.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the General Security Directorate issued statements on Friday asserting that their officers remained professional and loyal only to state institutions and the nation.

The statements came a day after the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on several Hezbollah-linked lawmakers, security officials and allies, accusing them of helping preserve Hezbollah’s influence within Lebanese state institutions and obstructing disarmament efforts.

Reports said this marked the first time Washington had sanctioned serving Lebanese state security officials, including one officer from the General Security Directorate and another from military intelligence, both accused of providing Hezbollah with illicit support and intelligence during the conflict.