BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh has killed the mayor, Ahmad Kahil, along with 15 others, marking one of the deadliest attacks on Lebanese state infrastructure since the latest wave of hostilities began.
The strike has drawn sharp condemnation from Lebanese officials and international observers.
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, described the killing of Kahil as “alarming” and reiterated that violations of international humanitarian law were “completely unacceptable.”
Five municipal staff members, who were coordinating aid for civilians in the area, were among those killed in the attack, according to Nabatiyeh Governor Howaida Turk.
“This is just like strikes all over Lebanon,” said Turk.
“They [Israel] have hit civilians, Red Cross, civil defense. Now they have targeted a government building. It is unacceptable. It is a massacre.”
The Nabatieh strike is the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia operating out of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military confirmed the airstrikes, stating that they were targeting Hezbollah positions in the area and claiming that the militant group often uses civilian facilities to shield its operations.
“We know that Hezbollah many times takes advantage of civilian facilities,” said Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, during a meeting at the UN in New York City.
Israel has yet to comment on the specifics of the Nabatieh strike, but it maintains that it is targeting Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the attack, saying that the strike had “intentionally” targeted a council meeting and that such actions posed serious risks to state infrastructure.
Destruction in Nabatieh and Beyond
Wednesday’s airstrike was the most significant attack on a state building in Lebanon since the escalation in violence two weeks ago.
The strike follows a series of Israeli bombardments across Nabatieh, which have destroyed historic buildings, including an Ottoman-era market built in 1910.
Most residents of Nabatieh had already fled the area due to the relentless air raids, but Mayor Kahil and several municipal employees remained to aid those who had stayed behind.
Meanwhile, Israel launched another airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday, hitting the southern suburb of Dahieh for the first time in five days.
The strike followed warnings from the U.S. State Department over the “scope and nature” of Israel’s bombing of Beirut.
Residents in Dahieh, many of whom had returned in recent days to check on their homes amid a lull in the bombing, described the neighbourhood as a “ghost town,” with rubble strewn across the streets.
The return of airstrikes left many of them scrambling for safety once again.
U.S. Calls for Restraint
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed concern over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, particularly the strikes on densely populated civilian areas.
“Our concerns have been made clear to the government of Israel,” Miller said, emphasizing the need to protect civilians amid ongoing military operations.
Israel’s military insisted that efforts were made to mitigate civilian harm, including advance warnings to residents in targeted areas.
However, human rights groups like Amnesty International have criticized these warnings as “inadequate” and “misleading,” asserting that Israel remains bound by international humanitarian law to protect civilians during its military operations.
Calls for Accountability
Lebanese officials and international observers have called for investigations into Israel’s recent airstrikes.
The UN’s human rights office has requested an investigation into Monday’s strike on the northern village of Aitou, where 23 people were killed, including 12 women and two children.
The Lebanese health ministry reported that the victims were members of a displaced family who had rented a residential home destroyed in the attack.
“The Aitou strike raises real concerns with respect to international humanitarian law,” a spokesperson for the UN human rights office said.
As Israel expands its air campaign in southern Lebanon and beyond, fears continue to grow about the safety of state infrastructure and civilian populations.
The strikes, which have included residential areas, historical sites, and now state buildings, have prompted urgent calls for a ceasefire and greater international oversight.
With violence continuing to escalate across the region, diplomatic efforts are increasingly focused on finding a way to de-escalate the conflict and ensure the safety of Lebanon’s civilians.
