An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon has killed four civilians – three children and their grandmother – increasing the likelihood of a dangerous further escalation of the conflict on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Israeli troops, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and their allies have been clashing along the border for a month since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Although the clashes remain largely contained, they have increased in intensity as Israel leads a ground incursion into Gaza against Hezbollah ally Hamas.
The civilian deaths in Lebanon on Sunday were confirmed by a local civil defense official and state Lebanese media.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee also said in a statement on Sunday that an Israeli had been killed in a Hezbollah retaliatory attack. He did not specify whether it was a civilian or a soldier.
Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian Shiite group, said it fired several Grad rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona after the Israeli attack, saying it was a response to ” heinous and brutal crime” of Israel.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said “the enemy will pay the price for its crimes against civilians.”
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari made no apology for the attack on the Lebanese family.
“Regarding Lebanon, we attack based on intelligence information and we will continue to attack. This is our mission. Whoever threatens us, we will attack them,” Hagari said, before adding that Israel examines “every event that happens in Lebanon.”
Samir Ayoub, a Lebanese journalist who was in the car in front of the one that was hit, said the three girls killed were his sister’s children and the woman was their grandmother.
“There were no men in the car that was hit. There were three young, innocent children with their grandmother and mother,” he said. “Three children were burned in the car and no one could save them. And I pulled out their mother as she screamed, “My children! Where are the terrorists? Israelis, you are the terrorists.
Although clashes between Israeli troops and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters remain largely confined to areas near the border, they have intensified as Israel continues its ground incursion into the Gaza Strip.
There has been speculation that the front between the two would eventually escalate into a full-fledged war, but in a highly anticipated speech on Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah avoided such a statement.
Complaint to the UN
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that two civilian cars carrying members of the same family – including a local journalist – were traveling between the towns of Ainata and Aitaroun on Sunday evening when they were hit by an Israeli airstrike .
One of the cars was hit directly and caught fire, according to the report. The three children killed were aged 10, 12 and 14, the press release said. Their mother is seriously injured.
Ali Safieddine, head of civil defense in the southern Lebanese district of Tire, confirmed that a woman and three children had been killed.
Lebanon will file a complaint with the United Nations over the killing of civilians, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said. He said Lebanon was collecting information and photos and would likely file its complaint on Monday.
Reporting from Naqoura in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said it appeared Lebanon and Israel were “gradually moving up the ladder of escalation.”
“This is the first time since the start of the conflict that Hezbollah has directly claimed that it is launching rockets towards Israel. This means there will be an Israeli reaction,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, local Lebanese officials said an Israeli drone struck near two ambulances as they were on their way to pick up the wounded from overnight strikes in southern Lebanon, injuring four rescue workers.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had launched strikes against a “terrorist cell” that was attempting to fire missiles towards Israel from the Ras Naqoura region of southern Lebanon and that it had not intentionally targeted vehicles.
Also on Sunday, Hezbollah said in a statement that it targeted an Israeli military vehicle across the border from the Lebanese town of Blida with guided missiles, killing and injuring members of the crew.
The deaths of the woman and three children bring to 14 the number of civilians killed on the Lebanese side during border clashes, while at least one Israeli civilian was killed.
Hezbollah officials warned that if Israel killed Lebanese civilians, it would be considered a violation of the rules of engagement and that it would retaliate by attacking civilian targets.
