Israeli Strike on Haret Saida Leaves 8 Dead, 25 Injured

The Lebanese health ministry reported that at least eight people were killed and 25 others injured on Sunday following an Israeli airstrike near Sidon in southern Lebanon, targeting a building in a densely populated area. The strike hit Haret Saida, a suburb of Sidon that had recently received families fleeing from areas further south, marking the first attack in this location since the onset of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict last month.

Initially, the ministry reported two casualties but later confirmed the toll had risen to eight, including a child. According to an AFP correspondent, the strike destroyed an apartment in a three-story residential building, causing damage to nearby shops and buildings. Emergency responders rushed to the scene to assist survivors.

While the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for multiple areas in southern Lebanon, Haret Saida was not identified among the locations expected to be targeted. Reports from Arab TV channels indicated that Hezbollah security official Hussein Fneish was the intended target and that most casualties were members of his family.

Since the conflict began on September 23, at least 1,615 people have lost their lives in Lebanon, according to an AFP count based on health ministry data, though the actual toll is likely higher due to incomplete figures. The U.N. migration agency estimates that more than 1.3 million people have been displaced, with over 800,000 of them relocating within Lebanon and more than 500,000 crossing into Syria, mainly Syrian nationals.