**Child Among Four Dead After Israeli Strike on Lebanon Hospital**
In a tragic turn of events, at least four individuals, including a child, lost their lives after Israeli airstrikes near the main government hospital in southern Beirut on Monday, as reported by the Lebanese health ministry.
The strike, which targeted a car park at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, also left 24 people injured, according to government sources. Israel defended its actions by stating it hit a “Hezbollah terrorist target” in the vicinity, maintaining that the hospital itself was not impacted. The Israeli military alleged that Hezbollah deliberately positions its assets among civilian populations.
Israeli forces had issued warnings for residents to evacuate several areas in southern Beirut, yet the hospital was not specifically mentioned as a target for strikes, as per BBC reports. The bombing near the hospital was part of a series of 13 airstrikes carried out by Israel in southern Beirut in one of the most intense assaults on Lebanon in recent times.
Lebanese authorities confirmed that at least 17 citizens, including four first responders, had been killed earlier on Monday before the strike at the Rafik Hariri hospital compound. The ongoing Israeli airstrikes have forced over a million people to flee their homes in Lebanon, with casualties tallying up to 2,483 deaths and 11,628 injuries, as per the Lebanese health ministry. In retaliation, 59 people have lost their lives in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights during the same period.
The situation escalated further with claims from Israel that a Hezbollah strongroom was located beneath another medical facility, the Al-Sahel Hospital in Beirut’s suburbs. While Israel stated it would not target the hospital itself, allegations of cash and gold reserves belonging to Hezbollah within the compound added fuel to the fire. The director of Al-Sahel Hospital strongly refuted these claims, calling for an inspection by the Lebanese Army to debunk the allegations.
Amidst the escalating tensions, efforts to broker a ceasefire were underway, with US envoy Amos Hochstein engaging in discussions with Lebanese officials in Beirut. However, the peace talks faced hurdles as both sides were urged to commit to UN resolution 1701, which marked the end of the previous conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. Hochstein emphasised the importance of southern Lebanon being free from any troops or weapons not under the control of the Lebanese state.
As the region grapples with the aftermath of these deadly strikes, calls for de-escalation and diplomatic resolutions grow louder amidst the ravages of conflict and loss of innocent lives.