21 people killed by Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon
The Lebanese health ministry has announced that the Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 21 people across southern Lebanon.
The deadliest strike hit Haret Saida, near the port city of Sidon, killing nine people and wounding 38 others. The top floor of a three-story building was destroyed, and nearby buildings were also damaged.
In the southern village of Ain Baal, at least seven people were killed, including a nurse and three rescuers.
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The dead included three emergency workers working at a center run by the Al-Riossala Association, a charity linked to the Shia political party Amal, which is an ally of Hezbollah. A nurse and three other people who were nearby were also killed.
Another five people were killed in Burj al-Shemali, where Israel’s deadly drone attack struck near a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. However, a UNRWA spokesperson said the school was not directly hit in the strike and suffered no casualties.
The Lebanese army blocked access to the sector, which has become crowded with people fleeing other areas of south Lebanon since Israel launched its offensive against Hezbollah in September. AFP’s correspondent reported that no warning to evacuate the zone was given before Israel’s strike.
The latest casualties bring the total number of people killed by Israel to at least 1,620 since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.
