In the early hours of Friday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a building east of Tyre, a port city in southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of a civilian woman and injuring over a dozen others, including many children, according to local security sources. The Israeli military has acknowledged the incident and stated that it is investigating the report.
The attack follows a series of escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. On Thursday, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a coordinated assault involving rockets and weaponized drones against nine Israeli military positions. This marked the second consecutive day of heightened conflict along Lebanon’s southern border.
Hezbollah’s offensive was declared as a retaliatory measure in response to an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday, which resulted in the death of a senior Hezbollah field commander. A Lebanese security source described Thursday’s operation as the largest by Hezbollah since October, coinciding with renewed clashes between the group and Israeli forces during the Gaza conflict.
The ongoing exchanges have resulted in significant casualties on both sides. According to a Reuters tally, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have led to the deaths of over 300 Hezbollah fighters, surpassing the number of casualties the group suffered in the 2006 conflict. The death toll for Lebanese civilians stands at around 80. In contrast, attacks originating from Lebanon have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, based on Israeli reports.
The violence has also caused considerable displacement, with tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes on both sides of the border. The region remains tense as both parties continue to exchange fire, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and raising concerns over further escalation.
