With the number of dead set to rise as the rubble was still being searched, the UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has criticised Israel after air strikes on municipal buildings in the southern city of Nabatieh killed the mayor and 15 others. Jeanine called the killing of mayor Ahmad Kahil “alarming” adding that any violations of international humanitarian law were “completely unacceptable”.
Nabatiyeh Governor, Howaida Turk, informed the press that at least five of those killed in Wednesday’s strike were identified as municipal staffs co-ordinating aids for civilians remaining in the area.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati condemned the attack, stating that the attack was “intentionally” targeted a council meeting.
The attack was the most significant against a Lebanese state building since the latest escalation in fighting, which began about two weeks ago, and has raised concerns about the safety of the country’s state infrastructure. Our sources gathered from a spokesman for the Israeli military that its forces had launched raids targeting dozens of Hezbollah targets in the area and destroyed a tunnel used by the Iran-backed group.
“We know that Hezbollah many times takes advantage of civilian facilities,” Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said at a meeting of the UN in New York City on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Governor Turk, said that while the majority of Nabatieh residents had already left the area following heavy Israeli air strikes, the mayor and other municipal employees had stayed behind to help those who remained.
Previous strikes on Nabatieh over the past few days have destroyed historic buildings, including an Ottoman-era market dating to 1910.
“They [Israel] have hit civilians, Red Cross, civil defence. Now they have targeted a government building. It is unacceptable. It is a massacre,” said Turk.
Israel has since expanded its air campaign in recent days, launching an unexpected strike in the far north of the country on Monday. The strike is said have destroyed a large residential home that had been rented by a displaced family in the Christian village of Aitou, killed 23 people, 12 of which are women and 2 are children according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The UN human rights office has called for an investigation into the Aitou strike, saying it raised real concerns with respect to international humanitarian laws.
