An Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in the northern Lebanese village of Aito on Monday, killing at least 21 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. The attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The strike targeted a small apartment building in Aito, part of Lebanon’s Christian heartland in the north, an area not typically associated with Hezbollah’s main spheres of influence in the south and east. The Israeli military has not immediately commented on the strike or its intended target.
Rescue workers were seen searching through the rubble of the collapsed building, with ambulances standing by to receive victims’ bodies. The attack also caused damage to nearby buildings and vehicles.
This deadly strike comes just a day after a Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli army base in northern Israel killed four 19-year-old soldiers and severely wounded seven others. It was the deadliest attack by the militant group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.
In response to Sunday’s attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the targeted army base and wounded soldiers, declaring, “We will continue to strike Hezbollah without compassion in every part of Lebanon, including in Beirut.”
The conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. In Lebanon, the Health Ministry reports that approximately 2,300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since last October, with over three-quarters of these deaths occurring in the past month. On the Israeli side, Hezbollah’s attacks have killed more than 60 people over the past year, despite Israel’s claims that most rockets and drones have been intercepted.
Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, has pledged to continue its attacks on Israel until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Israel maintains that its campaign against Hezbollah aims to stop these attacks and allow displaced Israelis to safely return to their homes near the Lebanese border.
The strike on Aito, far from Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds, raises concerns about the widening scope of the conflict and the potential for increased civilian casualties in areas previously considered relatively safe from cross-border violence.
AP
