BEIRUT: The mayor and fifteen other people were killed on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike demolished the municipal headquarters in Nabatieh, a significant town in south Lebanon, when they were gathering to organize relief efforts for war victims.
The incident sparked concerns that buildings and public officials, who have so far escaped Israel’s growing air campaign aimed at crushing Hezbollah, may increasingly come under attack.
The incident on the provincial capital was denounced by acting prime minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati, who said that it was “intentionally targeted to discuss a meeting of the municipal council to discuss the city’s service and relief situation.”
It came amid US concerns about mounting death counts and the possibility of all-out war in the Middle East, which produces much of the world’s oil. It was the most serious Israeli hit yet on a Lebanese state building since it expanded its offensive last month.
Israel claims it intends to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure so that tens of thousands of Israelis can return to their homes in the north of the nation, and in recent weeks it has killed prominent Hezbollah officials and advanced into southern border towns.
A reporter called Nabatieh’s mayor, Ahmed Kahil, to inquire about his plans to evacuate the city of tens of thousands of inhabitants, after Israel initially issued an evacuation order on October 3.
He declared he wouldn’t.
The Israeli military claimed to have targeted numerous Hezbollah sites in the Nabatieh region, and the Israeli navy claimed to have hit other targets in southern Lebanon.
In the middle of a village close to the Israeli border, it claimed to have “dismantled” a network of tunnels used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces. It also released a video showing several explosions shaking a group of buildings.
According to Lebanese officials, it was the little village of Mhaibib, which has a holy shrine.
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, stated that following the Israeli strike on Nabatieh, civilian suffering was at an all-time high.
An Israeli airstrike earlier on Wednesday targeted a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Two explosions were audible to witnesses, who also observed smoke plumes rising from two different neighborhoods. Following Israel’s issuance of an evacuation order that specifically named one structure, explosions occurred.
US insecurity
Speaking on behalf of the State Department, Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that the US had brought up the recent attacks on Beirut with the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Due to the high number of civilian deaths caused by Israeli operations, Western allies—including France—have demanded an early end to hostilities.
According to the health ministry, Israeli actions in Lebanon have resulted in 2,350 deaths and more than 1.2 million displaced people in the past year. According to the UN, orders to evacuate have been issued for 25% of the nation.
The death toll includes hundreds of women and children without making a distinction between soldiers and civilians.
