Israeli Airstrike in Bint Jbeil Results in Deaths of Hezbollah Member and Two Family Members

An airstrike by Israel in a town on the southern border of Lebanon resulted in the deaths of a Hezbollah member and two of his relatives, as announced by Hezbollah on Wednesday. Lebanese state media also reported these fatalities.

Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, there has been a notable increase in hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border, primarily involving the Israeli military and Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes targeted a residence in the center of Bint Jbeil, located approximately two kilometers from the border. The strike claimed the lives of Ali Bazzi, his brother Ibrahim, and Ibrahim’s wife Shourouk Hammoud. Notably, Ibrahim Bazzi was an Australian citizen who had recently arrived in Lebanon from Australia, intending to relocate his wife to Australia with him.

Another family member sustained injuries in this incident.

Hezbollah later confirmed that Ali Bazzi was a member of their organization.

The skirmishes have mainly been restricted to the border region, though Israel has carried out a few strikes further inside Lebanese territory.

Israel has been advocating for Hezbollah’s retreat to areas north of the Litani River, situated roughly 30 kilometers north of the border.

Israel’s military reported that an anti-tank missile launched by the Iran-supported militant group injured nine soldiers as they were responding to a previous strike that had wounded a civilian.

Since the start of the hostilities, the Lebanese side has suffered over 150 deaths, predominantly Hezbollah fighters, but the toll also includes more than a dozen civilians, among them three journalists, as per an AFP count.

On the Israeli side, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of at least four civilians and nine soldiers since October 7, based on military data.