An Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre left at least seven people dead, among them five siblings, three of whom were deaf and mute, officials and a resident said Saturday. Elsewhere in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 31 people.
The rise in Tyre’s death toll came as Israel’s air force carried out airstrikes on different parts of southern and eastern Lebanon on Saturday hours after Beirut’s southern suburbs were pounded by jets, destroying several buildings, state media reported.
The Health Ministry said late Saturday that the airstrikes on towns and villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and Baalbek-Hermel province left 20 people dead while those in two villages in south Lebanon killed 11 people, including five paramedics.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it fired dozens of rockets on northern Israel and shot down a drone over south Lebanon. The group said that Israel’s air force struck the area where the drone crashed. There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military.
The Health Ministry said the strikes on Tyre late Friday night also wounded 46 people. It added that remains also were found in rubble and DNA tests will be used to identify the victims.
Youssef Jundi, a Tyre resident, told The Associated Press that the airstrikes destroyed several buildings in the coastal city.
He said that his long-time neighbor and friend, Ghazwa Dabouk, was among those killed. Dabouk’s sisters Elissar, Rabab and Fidaa, who were deaf and mute, were also killed in the airstrike, together with Dabouk’s brother Ali, who had autism.
The Israeli military said it attacked the Tyre offices of Hezbollah’s intelligence department as well as a command and control center for the group in the city.
More than 3,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the 13 months of the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran.
For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly contained to the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict dramatically escalated on Sept. 23 with intense Israeli airstrikes on south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, leaving hundreds dead and leading to the displacement of nearly 1.2 million people.
Israel began a ground invasion of south Lebanon on Oct. 1, causing wide destruction in border villages but making little advances on the ground inside Lebanon. Israel says it is destroying Hezbollah weapons and command centers near the border, including an extensive tunnel system built by Hezbollah.