Anger in Lebanon after Israeli strike killed mayor and 15 otherspublished at 08:33 British Summer Time
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, in Beirut
Image source, ReutersRescuers in Nabatieh yesterday
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has issued a strong statement after an Israeli attack on a government building in Nabatieh yesterday, saying Israel had “deliberately targeted” a meeting by local authorities, while criticising the international community for its “silence” about Israel’s attacks on his country.
The attack in Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in the south of the country, killed 16 people, including the city’s mayor, Ahmed Kahil. According to Mikati, the airstrike happened as they were discussing the city’s “service and relief situation”.
It was the first time a Lebanese government building was hit – and destroyed – by the Israeli military in this conflict.
“This new aggression, coupled with all the crimes committed by the Israeli enemy against civilians, is a mark of a world that is deliberately silent about the crimes of the occupation, which encourages it to persist in its aggression and crimes,” Mikati said.
“What solution can be hoped for in light of this reality?”
The main headline in Lebanon’s Al Nahar newspaper is “Devastation and massacre”, while Al Diar newspaper says “Israel’s scorched-earth tactics”.
The French-language newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour says “Israel blows up southern Lebanon”.
The Israeli military said it had targeted infrastructure used by Hezbollah in Nabatieh and surrounding areas, describing the sites hit as “command centres” and “weapons storage facilities”.
It accuses Hezbollah of embedding its infrastructure in civilian areas. But the military has not commented specifically about the attack on the municipal building, and why a functioning government facility was considered a legitimate target.
Dozens of civilians have been killed as Israel carries out widespread airstrikes across Lebanon. They include emergency responders, medical teams, and displaced residents. In several occasions, the Israeli military has not explained what or who was targeting.