Israeli attack on Lebanon results in deaths of entire family, reports say
On Monday, an assault on an apartment complex in the northern region of the country reportedly resulted in 23 fatalities and left six individuals wounded. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
On Monday, an attack on an apartment block in northern Lebanon reportedly resulted in the deaths of 23 individuals, all reportedly members of the same family, while six others sustained severe injuries.
The airstrike, attributed to Israeli forces, hit a small apartment building in the village of Aito, situated in a mostly Christian area, away from the main strongholds of the Hezbollah militant group. The Israel Defense Forces had initiated a ground operation in Lebanon late the previous month. According to estimates from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, over 2,200 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon since October 2023, following the escalation of cross-border confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Beirut authorities have reported that approximately 1.2 million people are currently displaced throughout Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed that 23 refugees from southern Lebanon died as a result of the Israeli strike on Aito the day before. PBS’ special correspondent in the Middle East, Leila Molana-Allen, detailed that all 23 victims belonged to the same family, with six others surviving but remaining critically injured. “Nearly an entire family line [was] wiped out in a moment,” she stated, highlighting that the family had evacuated to northern Lebanon after their Shiite village in the south “was relentlessly bombarded” by Israeli forces.
Similarly, Arab News reported that a local MP claimed that one of the slain individuals was affiliated with Hezbollah.
In a statement on Tuesday, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted, “What we’re hearing is that amongst the 22 people who were killed were 12 women and two children.” Laurence expressed concern that the Israeli attack could violate international humanitarian law, as well as the “laws of war and principles of distinction, proportion and proportionality.” He called for “a prompt, independent and thorough investigation into this incident.”
When asked about the airstrike during a press briefing, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller stated he could not comment on the specifics of that strike. However, he acknowledged, “obviously the loss of civilian life is extremely troubling, and we’ve made that clear to the government of Israel.”
On the same day, Naim Kassem, acting leader of Hezbollah, pledged to intensify missile strikes targeting major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
The airstrike, attributed to Israeli forces, hit a small apartment building in the village of Aito, situated in a mostly Christian area, away from the main strongholds of the Hezbollah militant group. The Israel Defense Forces had initiated a ground operation in Lebanon late the previous month. According to estimates from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, over 2,200 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon since October 2023, following the escalation of cross-border confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Beirut authorities have reported that approximately 1.2 million people are currently displaced throughout Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed that 23 refugees from southern Lebanon died as a result of the Israeli strike on Aito the day before. PBS’ special correspondent in the Middle East, Leila Molana-Allen, detailed that all 23 victims belonged to the same family, with six others surviving but remaining critically injured. “Nearly an entire family line [was] wiped out in a moment,” she stated, highlighting that the family had evacuated to northern Lebanon after their Shiite village in the south “was relentlessly bombarded” by Israeli forces.
Similarly, Arab News reported that a local MP claimed that one of the slain individuals was affiliated with Hezbollah.
In a statement on Tuesday, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted, “What we’re hearing is that amongst the 22 people who were killed were 12 women and two children.” Laurence expressed concern that the Israeli attack could violate international humanitarian law, as well as the “laws of war and principles of distinction, proportion and proportionality.” He called for “a prompt, independent and thorough investigation into this incident.”
When asked about the airstrike during a press briefing, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller stated he could not comment on the specifics of that strike. However, he acknowledged, “obviously the loss of civilian life is extremely troubling, and we’ve made that clear to the government of Israel.”
On the same day, Naim Kassem, acting leader of Hezbollah, pledged to intensify missile strikes targeting major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
