Civilian Casualties Mount as Israel Bombards Southern Lebanon

Fri Dec 05 2025 10:45:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Israeli airstrikes intensify, 30 civilians have been reported dead following an attack on a residential building in the town of Barja, raising alarms over the humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict.

In the wake of escalating violence, Israeli airstrikes have led to significant civilian casualties in Lebanon, with recent attacks claiming at least 30 lives. The strikes are aimed at Hezbollah, but the devastation highlights the dire humanitarian implications for displaced families and heritage sites.

Rescuers in Lebanon reported a tragic toll of 30 deaths resulting from an Israeli airstrike on a four-story apartment building in Barja, a coastal town south of Beirut, targeting areas predominantly inhabited by displaced individuals. The Lebanese Civil Defence agency indicated that many residents remain unaccounted for following the Tuesday evening strike, which caused part of the building to collapse and ignited a fire. The Israeli military defended the attack, asserting it targeted "terror infrastructure" linked to the Shia group Hezbollah.

Furthermore, on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry confirmed an additional 40 fatalities in separate Israeli strikes across the eastern governorates of Baalbek and Bekaa, escalating the regional death toll. Notably, among those confirmed dead were seven women and three children, including a seven-month-old baby.

Eyewitness accounts illustrate the destruction's impact on innocent lives, with many residents in Barja being internally displaced individuals seeking refuge from ongoing conflicts. One survivor recounted the harrowing experience of rescuing his injured family members trapped under debris, illustrating the brutal reality of the latest airstrike.

The cultural heritage of Lebanon also suffered collateral damage, as the Lebanese culture minister reported substantial destruction to an Ottoman-era building adjacent to the Roman ruins in Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This loss, according to Minister Mohammad Mortada, is an irreversible tragedy, emphasizing the broader consequences of military operations on the region's historical assets.

The ongoing conflict has fueled violence in both Lebanon and Israel, with recent rocket fire from Hezbollah leading to casualties on the Israeli side. Israeli authorities reported that a rocket strike in northern Israel resulted in the death of an 18-year-old male worker, further intensifying the cycle of retaliatory violence.

Despite claims from the Israeli government suggesting operations are aimed at dismantling Hezbollah, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with over 2,400 individuals reported killed and more than 1.2 million displaced within Lebanon since the conflict rose to prominence six weeks ago.

The confrontations began following an escalation in cross-border hostilities in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in increased rocket assaults from Hezbollah as part of its support for Palestinian groups. Israeli officials have asserted a commitment to securing the safety of civilians residing in northern border areas, yet the ongoing airstrikes and rocket exchanges have raised significant concerns over the escalating humanitarian toll.