Lebanon’s health ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike resulted in the deaths of 20 individuals, including three children, in the village of Almat, situated north of Beirut’s capital.
The village of Almat, which has a Shia Muslim majority, is located in a predominantly Christian area. It lies outside of Hezbollah’s conventional strongholds in southern Beirut and southern and eastern Lebanon, regions that have faced significant Israeli bombardment since late September amid ongoing conflict with the Iran-supported group.
“The strike by the Israeli enemy on Almat in the Jbeil district has led to the deaths of 20 individuals, including three children, and injured six, according to an updated report,” stated the health ministry.
The ministry also confirmed that Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three rescuers affiliated with Hezbollah in the southern region.
“Enemy aircraft targeted a house in the Al-Laqees neighborhood” of the city, as reported by the state-run National News Agency. The NNA indicated that Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and eastern villages and positions during the overnight hours and into Sunday morning.
On the previous day, Israeli strikes led to the deaths of 20 people in eastern Lebanon and 13 in the southern region, as per figures released by the health ministry. Israel has escalated its air operations, primarily focusing on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon since September 23, and a week later deployed ground troops.
The rise in hostilities followed almost a year of low-intensity, cross-border skirmishes initiated by Hezbollah in support of its allied group Hamas, after the Palestinian Islamist group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the Gaza war.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, over 3,130 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon as a result of the cross-border violence that began, with most fatalities occurring since September 23.
