The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified with a surge in attacks affecting civilian infrastructure and humanitarian personnel as more advanced weaponry appears on the northern Israeli front.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said an Israeli airstrike struck a health center in the southern village of Burj Qalaouiyah in the Bint Jbeil district killing twelve medical workers.
The victims included doctors nurses and paramedics who were on duty when the facility was hit and Lebanese officials said the strike was part of a wider wave of attacks across southern Lebanon.
Earlier the same evening another strike in the nearby village of Souaneh killed two paramedics marking the second attack on medical personnel within hours.
Lebanese authorities say at least seven hundred seventy three people have been killed in Lebanon since renewed hostilities began between Israel and Hezbollah including eighteen paramedics.
Humanitarian organizations also report large scale displacement with more than eight hundred sixteen thousand people now displaced across the country.
Northern Israel meanwhile entered a new phase of the conflict after rocket barrages struck communities in the Upper Galilee.
Israeli authorities reported that some projectiles dispersed submunitions over populated areas suggesting the use of Iranian made cluster munitions for the first time during the current escalation.
Towns affected included Metula and Kfar Giladi near the Lebanese border.
Although Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepted several incoming rockets others released dozens of smaller explosive bomblets scattered across a wide area.
Military analysts say such munitions complicate air defense because they divide into multiple submunitions each carrying a significant explosive charge increasing the likelihood of damage to vehicles buildings and infrastructure.
Hezbollah said it carried out twenty four separate military operations including drone attacks targeting Israeli troops near the border community of Yaara.
On the Lebanese side Israeli air raids continued including strikes near Sidon that killed at least four people according to local officials.
In northern Israel warning sirens sounded repeatedly across several communities as rocket fire persisted along the frontier.
Leaders on both sides signaled that the conflict could continue for an extended period.
Hezbollah leadership described the confrontation as an existential battle saying the group was prepared for a prolonged conflict with Israel.
The Israeli military said it would continue targeting Hezbollah infrastructure including logistics routes and bridges over the Litani River used for weapons transfers.
The United States remains on heightened alert after its direct involvement in the broader regional escalation following strikes on Iranian targets earlier in the week.
The U.S. president said there was currently no immediate prospect of a diplomatic agreement with Tehran.
Human rights organizations warned that the targeting of medical facilities and the use of cluster munitions in populated areas could constitute violations of international humanitarian law.
Investigations into the strike on the health center and the reported use of cluster munitions are expected to intensify as the conflict widens and civilian casualties continue to mount.
