An alleged Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in northern Lebanon has reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
As of now, the Israeli military has not issued any statements regarding the incident, and details about the intended target remain unclear.
The strike occurred in Aito, a village situated in Lebanon’s Christian heartland, which is notably distant from the areas dominated by the Hezbollah militant group in the south and east of the country.
Footage shared by Lebanese media depicted a significant plume of smoke billowing from the village, with images showing destroyed vehicles adjacent to a heavily damaged building. Rescue teams were seen attempting to recover bodies from beneath the debris.
This attack follows a Hezbollah drone assault on an Israeli army base, which resulted in the deaths of four soldiers, all aged 19, and left seven others severely injured. This marked the deadliest incident involving Hezbollah since Israel commenced its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant updated his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, about the Hezbollah drone attack and pledged a “forceful response” from Israel. In total, 61 individuals were injured in the Sunday incident.
Over the past year, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets and drones into Israel, causing over 60 fatalities, although many of these have been intercepted by Israel’s defense systems or landed in uninhabited areas.
In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in approximately 2,300 deaths since October of last year, with more than three-quarters of those casualties occurring in the past month.
Hezbollah, allied with Hamas, has promised to continue its assaults on Israel until a ceasefire is established in Gaza. Israel claims its operations against Hezbollah are designed to safeguard displaced Israelis, enabling them to return safely to their homes near the border.
Earlier on Monday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a hospital courtyard in the Gaza Strip, killing at least four people and igniting a fire that spread through a nearby tent camp for displaced individuals, severely injuring more than two dozen.
The Israeli military stated that the Gaza strike aimed at militants hiding among civilians but did not provide any evidence. Recently, the military has targeted crowded shelters and tent camps, alleging that Hamas fighters were using them for operations.
In the city of Deir al-Balah, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital was already overwhelmed with casualties from an earlier airstrike on a school-turned-shelter that killed at least 20 people when the morning airstrike occurred, igniting numerous tents.
Several secondary explosions were reported following the initial strike, though it was unclear if they were due to munitions or fuel tanks.
For updates, join our WhatsApp channel: WhatsApp Channel.