A Lebanese family mourning the death of a father was struck again by tragedy when an Israeli airstrike killed a toddler and several relatives in southern Lebanon, despite hopes of a ceasefire, reports Reuters.
Seven-year-old Aline Saeed survived the attack on her home in the village of Srifa, but her infant sister Taleen—just under two years old—was among those killed. The strike came on Wednesday, the first day of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which many in Lebanon had hoped would ease violence in their country.
Instead, intensified strikes killed more than 350 people across Lebanon that day, leaving the Saeed family to bury multiple loved ones.
“They said it was a ceasefire… we went to pray and suddenly it felt like a storm fell on us,” said Aline’s grandfather, Nasser Saeed, who was also injured in the blast.
On Sunday, grieving relatives gathered in the southern city of Tyre to collect the bodies. Among them was Taleen’s, wrapped in cloth, far smaller than the others.
“She was born in the war and died in the war,” said her grandfather, Mohammed Nazzal.
The Israeli military said it lacked sufficient details to investigate the specific incident, but maintained it takes steps to minimize harm to civilians while targeting Hezbollah.
The latest escalation in Lebanon began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli positions. Since then, Israeli air and ground operations have killed more than 2,000 people, including many women and children.
Pope Leo on Sunday expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people and called for an immediate ceasefire, stressing the moral duty to protect civilians.
Heavy bombardment has continued, with nearly 100 people reported killed on Saturday alone. Medical officials say hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of wounded, many of them children.
“This isn’t humanity. This is a war crime,” said Nasser Saeed, mourning the loss of his family as his injured daughter remained hospitalized.
BD Pratidin English/ Jisan
