The Israeli forces targeted a car on the road between Ainata and Aitaroun, killing four people, including three children, according to security sources. This attack led to a rocket launch by Hezbollah towards Kyriat Shmona. It was also widely denounced by Lebanese political leaders.
The attack
Two civilian cars were driving on the road. The first one belonged to Samir Abdel Hussein Ayoub, a journalist from Ainata, and the second was driven by Samir’s niece, Hoda Abdel Nabi Hijazi, accompanied by her mother Samira Ayoub and her three daughters.
When the car was attacked by an Israeli drone, Samir Ayoub and Hoda Hijazi were injured, while the grandmother and the three children were killed.
Hezbollah
Commenting on the attack, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said that “this crime is a dangerous development,” adding, “The enemy will pay the price for its crimes against civilians.”
In a statement released on Sunday evening, Hezbollah announced that it had launched several Grad-type (Katyusha) rockets toward Kiryat Shmona in response to this “heinous crime.”
Hezbollah affirmed that it would not tolerate aggression against civilians and that its response would be “harsh and powerful.”
Mikati
Commenting on the attack in Ainata, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated, “Israel’s aggression against civilians in Lebanon and the death of four people, including three children, and the injury to other civilians in the south tonight constitute a heinous crime that adds to Israel’s criminal record.”
In a statement on Sunday evening, he emphasized that “this crime is a stain of shame on the world’s conscience that ignores the actions of Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon and Gaza.”
Mikati added that this crime would be closely monitored by the government, which would file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council. “The member states of the Security Council should uphold the United Nations Charter and act to stop the aggressions,” the statement read.
Bou Habib
In turn, Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib announced, “We have begun preparing an urgent new complaint that we will submit tomorrow to the UN Security Council in response to the crime committed by Israel in Ainata against the three children and the innocent family.”
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