Staff Reporter.
The death toll from an Israeli air attacks southern suburbs has risen to 31 people, including three children and seven women, Lebanon’s health minister says.
The strike, which wrecked two buildings in the Lebanese capital’s Dahiya district during rush hour on Friday, also injured 68 people, Health Minister Firass Abiad told a news conference on Saturday.
The three children killed were aged four, six and 10, according to Abiad, who also said two people were in critical condition.
Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh told Al Jazeera Arabic that the bombing of a residential building constituted a “war crime” and that Israel was “dragging the region into a war”.
He said 23 people were still missing under the rubble.
Israel’s military said it carried out a “targeted strike” against senior members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces in the Beirut suburb. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Saturday that “at least 16 Hezbollah militants” were killed in the attack.
Hezbollah confirmed that two of its top commanders, Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmad Mahmoud Wahabi, along with 12 other members, were killed. In July, an Israeli air strike killed Fuad Shurk, the group’s top military commander
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Lebanon had entered a “decisive” phase after the attack on the residential suburb, telling a news conference on Saturday that everything must be done to prevent further violations of Lebanese territory and avoid further deterioration of the security situation.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel was committing “shameless crimes” against children, not fighters. He also called for “inner strength” among Muslims to eliminate the “malignant cancerous tumour” from Palestine.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army reported it was “striking targets” of Hezbollah in northern Lebanon, with Israeli media reporting the army was launching dozens of strikes on Saturday afternoon.
Israel’s army radio said Hezbollah had launched 25 rockets towards northern Israel, causing several fires, with no injuries reported.
Friday’s air attack on the densely populated area followed explosions of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was also blamed on Israel and killed at least 39 people while wounding close to 3,000 others.
Source: Fullview and News Agencies.