BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said that Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon have killed 21 people and left 47 others wounded on Sunday. The Israeli strikes targeted the Baalbek-Hemel area, which has been subjected to a series of heavy attacks over the past week.
Eyewitnesses confirmed the intensity of the air raids, noting that Israeli military operations have continued to escalate.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had struck approximately 120 Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon and deep within Lebanese territory.
“During the intelligence-based strikes, the (air force) struck approximately 120 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and deep inside Lebanese territory,” a military statement said, adding that the targets included Hezbollah’s infrastructure and “significant headquarters used by Hezbollah’s different units”.
Earlier, The Israeli military claimed on Sunday the airstrike that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah this week in Beirut also killed more than 20 other members of the Lebanese group.
“More than 20 other members of varying ranks, who were present at the underground headquarters in Beirut located beneath civilian buildings, and were managing Hezbollah’s operations were also killed,” the military said in a statement.
In a statement, the Israeli military identified several Hezbollah members killed in Friday’s strike, including Ibrahim Hussein Jazini and Samir Tawfiq Dib, both considered close associates of Nasrallah.
The military said that their proximity to the Hezbollah chief positioned them as significant figures in the organization’s day-to-day operations. “Due to their proximity to him, they served a significant role in the day-to-day operations of Hezbollah and Nasrallah in particular,” it said.
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Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Sunday slammed the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon, labeling the use of force as “immoral” and calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region.
During his return flight to Rome from Belgium on Sunday, Pope Francis said, “A country that acts this way with force, no matter the country, and that acts in such an excessive manner, (lends itself to) immoral actions.”
He emphasized that defence must always be proportional to the attack, warning that when this principle is violated, a dangerous trend emerges that transcends moral boundaries.
“Defense must always be proportional to the attack. When this is not the case, a dominating tendency appears that goes beyond morality,” the 87-year-old pontiff said in Italian.
“Even in war there is a morality to defend. War is immoral, but the rules of war indicate a form of morality,” Francis said.
Pope Francis urged all parties involved in the conflict to cease hostilities, stating, “I call on all parties to immediately cease fire in Lebanon, Gaza, the rest of Palestine and Israel.”
