Resident check the site of an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday. AP
The rise in Tyre’s death toll came as Israel’s air force carried out airstrikes on different parts of southern and eastern Lebanon Saturday hours after Beirut’s southern suburbs were pounded by jets, destroying several buildings, state media reported.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it fired dozens of rockets on northern Israel and shot down a drone over south Lebanon.
The group said that Israel’s air force struck the area where the drone crashed. There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military.
The Health Ministry said the strikes on Tyre late Friday night also wounded 46 people. It added that remains also were found in rubble and DNA tests will be used to identify the victims.
Youssef Jundi, a Tyre resident, told The Associated Press that the airstrikes destroyed several buildings in the coastal city.
He said that his long-time neighbour and friend, Ghazwa Dabouk, was among those killed. Dabouk’s sisters Elissar, Rabab and Fidaa, who were deaf and mute, were also killed in the airstrike, together with Dabouk's brother Ali, who had autism.
More than 3,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the 13 months of the Israeli war on the country.
For nearly a year after the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in early October 2023, the conflict was mostly contained in the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The conflict dramatically escalated on Sept. 23 with intense Israeli airstrikes on south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, leaving hundreds dead and leading to the displacement of nearly 1.2 million people.
Israel began a ground invasion of south Lebanon on Oct. 1, causing wide destruction in border villages but making little advances on the ground inside Lebanon.
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