Israeli Strike Targets Hezbollah Member, Schoolchildren Narrowly Escape
In a dramatic incident in southern Lebanon, a group of schoolchildren narrowly escaped an Israeli airstrike that killed a Hezbollah member. The attack targeted a vehicle on the road leading to the town of Nabatiyé. The children were being transported in a bus that was trailing the targeted car, according to multiple eyewitnesses.
The bus driver, Ahmad Kobeissy, 57, described the chaotic scene: "I was driving the bus and suddenly the car in front of us was hit. At first, we didn’t understand what was happening, and there was panic among the children." Three children were injured by shards of glass and were later hospitalized. Mohammad Ali Nasser, an 11-year-old schoolchild, recounted, "We put our schoolbags on our heads to protect ourselves."
The attacker, believed to be an Israeli drone, killed a Hezbollah member identified as Mohammad Ali Nasser Farran, who was also a physics teacher. The pro-Iranian group Hezbollah has been engaged in cross-border skirmishes with Israel for over seven months, accentuated by the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. "We have eliminated hundreds of Hezbollah agents," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, elaborating on the ongoing conflict.
Hezbollah has responded with escalated attacks on northern Israel, utilizing drones and advanced weaponry. Although the Israeli army confirmed around thirty projectiles had been launched from southern Lebanon, they reported no casualties. This escalating violence has already resulted in a significant death toll: 429 in Lebanon, including 278 Hezbollah fighters and 82 civilians, while Israel has reported 14 soldiers and 11 civilian deaths.
- ### Community Impact and Personal Stories
- The ongoing conflict not only has geopolitical implications but also directly impacts the daily lives of civilians. Helène, a Lebanese expatriate now residing in Haifa, Israel, exemplifies the human side of this conflict. She has recreated a sense of her homeland in her living room, where items like images of Saint Maron, Saint George, and even Pope Francis are prominently displayed.
- Helène moved to Israel more than three decades ago with her husband, a Druze officer in the Israeli army. She represents a small but significant community of Lebanese who fled during Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. This community remains deeply affected by the ongoing violence, even as they find refuge in a new country.
