Lebanon has said that an Israeli military strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon led to the tragic death of three children and their grandmother on Sunday, Reuters reported.
In response, the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched a retaliatory attack, firing a series of grad rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. This marks the first instance of Hezbollah announcing the use of this specific weapon during a month-long period of clashes with Israeli forces, highlighting the potential for further escalation.
Hezbollah declared that it would not tolerate attacks on civilians and promised a resolute and forceful response. Lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah emphasized that the enemy would face consequences for its actions against innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed that it targeted a vehicle believed to be transporting militants in Lebanon and was investigating reports of civilians being present.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the incident as a “heinous crime,” while Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib announced Lebanon’s intention to file a complaint with the United Nations regarding the killing of civilians, including children, in the attack.
Television footage from al-Mayadeen showed rescue workers extracting one of the victims from the still-smoldering remnants of the car. According to a report by the Lebanese security forces, the children were killed when Israel struck the car they were traveling in between the villages of Aynata and Aitaroun.
