Israeli airstrike obliterates mosque in Lebanon, injures third UN peacekeeper
PTC News Desk: Hezbollah forces engaged in intense clashes with Israeli forces attempting to infiltrate the southern Lebanese village of Ramya on Sunday, according to a statement by the Iran-backed militant group. The confrontation occurred as violence continues to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah, which has drawn significant regional and international attention.
In a separate incident early Sunday morning, an Israeli airstrike leveled a historic mosque in the village of Kfar Tibnit, further fueling tensions.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the airstrike, which occurred at approximately 3:45 am local time (1245 GMT), "completely destroyed" the mosque, a central landmark in the village of Kfar Tibnit. The mosque, said to be over 100 years old, was located in the village's main square, a place where families traditionally gathered for community events and celebrations.
"It was a significant place because families used to gather in the square right next to it on special occasions," explained Fuad Yassin, the mayor of Kfar Tibnit, in a statement to AFP. The destruction of the mosque adds to the mounting devastation in southern Lebanon, an area already deeply affected by ongoing hostilities.
Adding to the day's violence, a Lebanese Red Cross team suffered injuries when an Israeli airstrike targeted a house in the town of Sirbin while the team was providing aid at the site of an earlier attack. According to the Red Cross, "As the team was searching for casualties to rescue, the house was hit for a second time resulting in concussions to the volunteers and damage to two ambulances." The paramedics were reported to have sustained light injuries.
In another incident, a United Nations peacekeeper was wounded during Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, marking the third such injury to UN personnel in the past week. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is tasked with monitoring peace along the Lebanon-Israel border, confirmed that the peacekeeper, injured by gunfire on Friday, had undergone surgery and was in stable condition.
UNIFIL, a force of over 10,000 peacekeepers drawn from various countries including Italy, France, and India, has been operating under increasingly dangerous conditions as hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel escalate. Earlier in the week, two peacekeepers were wounded when an Israeli strike hit a UNIFIL watchtower in Naqoura, a town on the Lebanese coast.
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The ongoing violence has drawn condemnation from several countries. France summoned Israel’s ambassador over the recent strikes, while the governments of Italy and Spain released statements denouncing the attacks as "unjustifiable." U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israel to take additional precautions to avoid harming UNIFIL personnel. Meanwhile, Russia called on Israel to halt its "hostile actions" against peacekeeping forces.
In response to the deteriorating situation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders to residents of 23 southern Lebanese villages, urging them to move north of the Awali River. Israel claims that Hezbollah is using these villages to hide weapons and stage attacks, allegations the militant group has denied.
The conflict has had a devastating impact on Lebanon, displacing more than 1.2 million people according to government estimates. Over 2,100 people have been killed in the country since the fighting began, with more than 10,000 reported injured. As the violence shows no signs of abating, international observers are expressing growing concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis.
- With inputs from agencies
