Casualties and Condemnation
A strike on a primary healthcare center in Lebanon killed 12 people, according to WHO chief Tedros, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that at least 26 medics and first responders have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2. The incident has drawn international condemnation and raised concerns about the protection of civilians and medical facilities during the fighting.
Conflicting Accounts of Strikes
The Israeli military warned on Saturday that it may strike ambulances and medical facilities which it said were being used unlawfully by Hezbollah in Lebanon, though it did not provide evidence for the claim. The BBC visited the remains of a home in Younine, northeastern Lebanon, where eight members of a family, including three children aged five, nine, and 14, were killed in a strike. The Israeli military told the BBC it had targeted "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure while Hezbollah operatives were present". Neighbors and relatives at the scene said they had no knowledge of this.
Civilian Impact and Displacement
More than 800 people have been killed in Israel's military action, according to figures from the Lebanese health ministry. Hundreds of thousands more people have been forced from their homes by sweeping Israeli evacuation orders. A local shepherd in Younine told the BBC he was at the shop about 30 minutes beforehand, offering to supply the family with yoghurt and that his daughter was friends with one of the children killed in the strike.
Calls for Diplomacy and De-escalation
UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that diplomatic channels remain open to end the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon. “There is no military solution, only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions," he said on Saturday during a visit to Beirut. He added that attacks against UNIFIL peacekeepers were “completely unacceptable and they must stop," noting that three peacekeepers serving with the Ghanaian contingent were wounded earlier this month in south Lebanon.
Potential for Broader Negotiations
Haaretz reports that Israel and Lebanon will talk as the war with Hezbollah rages. Guterres urged support for the Lebanese government, which last year committed to disarming Hezbollah. He stated, “We are doing everything we can now to bring about an immediate de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities.”
