Three Lebanese soldiers martyred, civilians hurt in Sarafand airstrike
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Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon struck near a Lebanese Army center, killing three soldiers and wounding several civilians.
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A destroyed building that was hit in an Israeli airstrike on the Southern Suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, November 19, 2024 (AP)
The Lebanese Ministry of Health's Public Health Emergency Operations Center reported on Tuesday evening that an Israeli airstrike on the southern town of Sarafand near a Lebanese Army center martyred three soldiers and wounded eight others, including civilians in the surrounding areas.
This recent strike adds to the growing toll since the onset of the war on Lebanon, with casualties now reaching 3,544 martyred and 15,036 wounded, according to official figures. The center reported that 28 people were martyred and 107 wounded on Monday alone.
The Israeli occupation forces have continued an intense air campaign across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut's southern suburbs, targeting civilian homes in what Lebanese sources describe as unprecedented brutality.
On Tuesday evening, sustained Israeli airstrikes targeted the city of Tyre and its surrounding areas, with notable strikes at the Deir Qanoun-Ras al-Ain intersection, accompanied by concentrated artillery fire.
In addition to Tyre, other towns and villages faced heavy bombardment, including Ma'aroub, Tayr Felsay, Debaal, the outskirts of Ma'arakeh, and Jabal al-Batm east of Tyre. The town of Zefta was also hit, though no casualties were reported there.
Widespread airstrikes continued, reaching towns such as Kfar Melki, Debaal, Hanawiya, Bazourieh, Ain Qana, Deir Amess, and Tayr Debba.
The Israeli air force also conducted attacks on several other locations, including Debeen, al-Khiam, Deir Antar, al-Sultaniyeh, Kfar Chouba, Habboush, Ma'aroub, Jabal al-Batm, Shebaa, Kfar Man, and Tebnine. Additionally, Ain Qana in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region came under heavy aerial bombardment.
Over 200 children killed
UNICEF reported Tuesday that "Israel" killed over 200 children in Lebanon amid its ongoing aggression over the past two months. The organization highlighted the alarming trend of an average of three child martyrs per day during this period.
Despite the severity of the situation, there is growing concern over the apparent indifference from those with the power to intervene and halt the ongoing Israeli aggression, as per the child advocacy group.
Commenting on this issue, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder expressed frustration following the killing of four children in Lebanon by "Israel", stating, "It's complicated.....I'm so sick of hearing this word… There is nothing complicated about a child going to bed and expecting to wake up the next day."
If not killed, scarred for life: 'Israel' targets Lebanon's children
Curled up in his father’s lap, gripping his chest, 4-year-old Hussein Mikdad sobbed uncontrollably. He kicked the doctor with his uninjured foot and pushed him away with his arm that wasn’t in a cast. "My Dad! My Dad!" Hussein cried. "Make him leave me alone!" His father, with eyes filled with both relief and pain, reassured him and held him tighter.
Hussein and his father, Hassan, are the sole survivors of their family following an Israeli airstrike on their Beirut neighborhood last month. The brutal Israeli attack on a residential neighborhood killed at least 18 people, including Hussein's mother, three siblings, and six other relatives. Israeli airstrikes have mainly targeted residential areas across Lebanon, killing and wounding thousands.
"Can he now shower?" the father asked the doctor.
Ten days after surgery, doctors assessed Hussein’s injuries and confirmed that he was healing well. He has metal rods in his broken right thigh and stitches that have reattached the torn tendons in his right arm. The pain has eased, and Hussein is expected to walk again in two months, though with a permanent limp.
As airstrikes continue to hit homes and residential areas, doctors are seeing an increasing number of children affected by the brutal Israeli aggression. Over the past six weeks, more than 100 children have been killed in Lebanon, and hundreds more injured. Of the 14,000 people wounded since last year, about 10% are children. Many have suffered severed limbs, burns, and lost families—trauma that may last a lifetime.
Ghassan Abu Sittah, a prominent British-Palestinian surgeon who is also treating Hussein, sees a difficult future ahead. His concern is clear, "It leaves us with a generation of physically wounded children, children who are psychologically and emotionally wounded."
