BEIRUT (Reuters) – An Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed six people, including three children, and wounded 11 others in an Israeli airstrike on the village of Khreibe in Lebanon’s eastern Balbek district, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
The injured included five children, two of whom were in critical condition, the health ministry said.
The Saturday morning strike killed two medics in southern Lebanon, including one each in Borj Rahal and Kafar Thebnit, and injured four rescue workers, with two still missing, the defense ministry said.
Israel also carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs controlled by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah for the fifth day in a row, with at least 15 airstrikes on Saturday, according to two security sources.
The Israeli military said the attack targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including weapons storage facilities and command centers.
One soldier has been killed during fighting in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said Saturday.
Lebanese authorities have yet to report any casualties from the airstrikes in the southern suburbs of the capital.
Israel launched a ground and air offensive against Hezbollah in late September after nearly a year of cross-border hostilities in parallel with the war in Gaza. It said its goal was to allow tens of thousands of Israelis forced to evacuate northern Israel due to Hezbollah attacks to return to their home country.
Israel’s campaign has dealt Hezbollah a heavy blow. Additionally, more than a million Lebanese have been forced to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks killed at least 3,452 people between Oct. 7, 2023, and Friday, the highest death toll since late September. It makes no distinction between civilian casualties and military personnel.
Israel says Hezbollah attacks last year killed about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and southern Lebanon.
