An Israeli strike in the northeastern Lebanese town of Younine has killed eight people, including three children, according to a BBC report. The attack occurred on Wednesday evening as an extended family gathered to break the Ramadan fast. Among the debris, children's toys, packets of sweets, and the yellow flag of the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group were visible, highlighting the grim aftermath of the incident.
The Israeli military told the BBC it had targeted "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure while Hezbollah operatives were present." However, neighbors and relatives at the scene disputed this claim, insisting the victims were civilians. The Lebanese health ministry described the eight killed as civilians, and a local official confirmed that the Lebanese military inspected the site and found "no military items or weapons," casting doubt on the Israeli justification for the strike.
A local shepherd recounted to the BBC that after hearing the explosion, he rushed to the scene to find body parts scattered along the road, which he collected and handed to first responders. His daughter was friends with one of the children killed and has not been eating or drinking properly since. A Syrian refugee woman living in a nearby tent said she saw the family daily and relied on their shop for credit, hoping to repay after the war, expressing shock at the sudden loss.
School teacher Hassan al-Tahan identified the property as belonging to his brother Ali Abbas, who was hosting the iftar meal. Tahan asserted that his relatives were all civilians, not Hezbollah operatives, stating, "We don't have any military items in the house, but Israel attacked us because we are Shia. We belong to this community which is resisting." At the strike site, household items like children's clothes and a framed photo of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini were buried in rubble, underscoring the domestic nature of the target.
Speaking atop the ruins, Tahan pulled a yellow Hezbollah scarf from his pocket and put it on, declaring that after this "painful incident," he would now fight alongside the group: "Even if we were not militarily affiliated before… From today, we are the soldiers of Hezbollah and proud of it." Some residents fled in fear post-strike, while others struggled to comprehend the event. The shepherd questioned, "If they wanted a specific person, why kill the rest?" The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded to the BBC, claiming it "takes the possible steps to mitigate harm to civilians" and urges them to "distance themselves from the organization's terrorist infrastructure," though these assurances were met with skepticism by eyewitnesses.
Source: www.bbc.com