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Israeli airstrikes kill nine in southern Lebanon
Two consecutive Israeli air raids on a building in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon, on Tuesday left nine people dead, including three emergency responders, Lebanese officials reported. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack as a "war crime."
Rescue workers among the victims
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed that the three members of the Lebanese Civil Defense-Hussein Ghadbouni, Hussein Sati, and Hadi Daher-were dispatched to assist survivors of the initial strike. They were killed when a second strike hit the same site, trapping them under debris. The identities of the six other fatalities remain undisclosed. Two Lebanese soldiers were also injured in the attack.
Israel defends strikes amid accusations
The Israeli military stated it targeted a Hezbollah commander operating near its forces in the Israeli-occupied zone of southern Lebanon but provided no evidence. A spokesperson acknowledged the incident was under review but did not address past failures to justify attacks on medical personnel during rescue operations. The tactic, known as a "double tap," involves a follow-up strike to hit civilians and first responders and has been employed by Israel in both Lebanon and Gaza.
Human rights groups condemn attacks on medics
Human rights organizations warn that deliberate strikes on healthcare workers may violate international law and constitute war crimes. Kristine Beckerle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Amnesty International, stated last month that such attacks "could constitute a war crime."
Escalating conflict and ceasefire tensions
The latest violence erupted on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground incursion into southern Lebanon. Since then, over 2,500 people have died in Lebanon, including 103 healthcare workers, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The toll includes at least 270 women and 170 children, though the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
In Israel, two civilians and 16 soldiers have been killed in Lebanon, while two civilians died from Hezbollah attacks within Israel, Israeli authorities reported.
Ceasefire fails to halt hostilities
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire has reduced but not stopped the conflict. Israel claims its actions are in self-defense against Hezbollah violations, while Lebanon's Prime Minister Salam accused Israel of "ongoing violations" of the truce. The agreement grants Israel broad leeway to act against "planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks," a phrasing critics say enables unrestricted military action.
Israel continues to occupy a 5-10 km strip along the Lebanon border, citing the need for a security buffer. On Tuesday, the Israeli military reported striking Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, killing three members it described as "terrorists." The previous day, it targeted sites in the Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah stronghold.
Hezbollah retaliates amid rising casualties
Hezbollah, which was not party to the ceasefire but pledged to respect it if Israel did, has launched rocket and drone attacks on Israeli forces in Lebanon and northern Israel. An Israeli soldier was killed in a drone strike on Sunday, and another was critically injured on Monday. A civilian contractor for Israel's defense ministry was also killed by a drone while operating machinery in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.
Pattern of attacks on medical personnel
Lebanese officials have repeatedly accused Israel of deliberately targeting healthcare workers. Last week, an Israeli strike blocked rescuers from reaching journalist Amal Khalil, who was later found dead under rubble. Earlier this month, three successive strikes on paramedics responding to an earlier attack killed four of them, including one featured in a BBC report.
"Deliberately striking medics performing their humanitarian functions is a serious violation of international humanitarian law."
Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International
