Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill six, officials say
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Israeli air strikes on the village of Khreibeh in the Baalbek District of eastern Lebanon have killed six people, including three children, and injured 11 others, the Lebanese health ministry says.
Among the injured were five children, two of whom were in critical condition, the ministry said.
Strikes earlier on Saturday killed two medics in south Lebanon, including one in Borj Rahal and another in Kfartebnit, and injured four other rescue workers, with two still missing, the ministry said.
Israeli air strikes also targeted areas of the southern suburbs of Beirut controlled by the Hezbollah militant group for a fifth consecutive day, with at least 15 strikes on Saturday, according to two security sources.
The Israeli military said the attacks were directed at Hezbollah infrastructure, including a weapons storage facility and a command centre.
A soldier was killed during combat in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Saturday.
There was no word yet from Lebanese authorities on casualties in the strikes on the capital’s southern suburbs.
Israel launched its ground and air offensive against Hezbollah in late September after almost a year of cross-border hostilities in parallel with the war in the Gaza Strip.
It says it aims to secure the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis forced to flee northern Israel under Hezbollah fire.
Israel’s campaign has dealt heavy blows to Hezbollah.
It has also forced more than a million Lebanese to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis.
Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli attacks have killed at least 3452 people through Friday since October 7, 2023, most since late September.
It does not distinguish between civilian casualties and fighters.
Israel says Hezbollah attacks have killed about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and southern Lebanon over the last year.
In the Gaza Strip, medics said on Saturday an Israeli strike killed 10 Palestinians and wounded at least 20 others at a school in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp currently sheltering displaced families.
The United Nations-run Abu Assi school, where rescue operations are ongoing, may still have people trapped under the rubble, health officials said.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.
The Israeli military reported later on Saturday that two rockets fired at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip were intercepted.
The launches show the ability of Palestinian militant groups to fire rockets into Israel despite more than 13 months of an aerial and ground offensive that turned vast land in the enclave into wasteland and displaced most of the 2.3 million population.
Palestinian health officials said at least 30 people have been killed by Israeli military strikes across the enclave on Saturday.
The Gaza health ministry said 43,799 people have been confirmed dead since October 7, 2023.
Hamas militants killed about 1200 Israelis that day and still hold dozens of about 250 hostages they took back to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli tallies.
Reuters