Israeli Attack on Lebanese Village Almat Claims 23 Lives, Including Children

The Shiite-majority village of Almat, situated in the Jbeil district about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Beirut, lies in a predominantly Christian area. Israel has heavily bombed this and nearby regions since late September in its ongoing war with Hezbollah.

“The Israeli enemy strike on Almat in the Jbeil district killed 23 people, including seven children, in an updated but not final toll,” Lebanon’s health ministry reported on Sunday. Body parts were also recovered at the scene and are being identified, the statement added.

Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan noted that this marks only the second attack in the area since Israel hostilities intensified. “It’s very clear now that the brunt of the devastation that has taken place, either in the south or across other parts of Lebanon, is being borne by civilians,” Khan said.

The Lebanese health ministry reported 53 deaths in Israeli strikes on Saturday and at least 99 injuries.

Lebanese official media also stated that an Israeli airstrike hit a house in the eastern city of Baalbek, with no prior evacuation warning from Israeli forces. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, “Enemy aircraft launched a strike on a house in the al-Laqees neighborhood” of Baalbek.

Since September 27, the Israeli military has issued several evacuation orders, instructing residents to leave their homes. While Israel claims that these orders are intended to protect civilians, evacuation instructions are not consistently provided.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated significantly since September, has led to intensive bombing by Israel and increased rocket and drone strikes from Hezbollah. Since the war on Gaza began, at least 3,189 people have been killed and 14,078 wounded in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks.