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Lebanese in Nabatieh bury the dead after Israeli air strikes signal a worrying direction in war

To Prime Minister Najib Mikati and others, attacks on a municipal building are a worrying sign that the war against Hezbollah militants is turning against the state itself

Goran Tomasevic and Siegfried Modola
Nabatieh, lebanon
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People in Nabatieh buried their loved ones on Friday after an Israeli air strike that levelled the municipal headquarters and killed 17 people, including the mayor. For many Lebanese, it was a worrying sign that the war against Hezbollah militants – who, while influential in this area, are not the rulers of Lebanon – is turning against the state itself.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail

As locals walk the ruined streets, one man cries at the site of the air strike while another collects supplies from a destroyed ambulance. Wednesday’s attack came while the local council was discussing relief for displaced people, according to Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who accused Israel of intentionally targeting the meeting. Goran Tomasevic/The Globe and Mail
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Nabatieh is a provincial capital in southern Lebanon, near the border where Israeli and Hezbollah forces have skirmished since Hamas's attacks on Israel last October. In recent weeks, Israeli rockets have gone deeper into Lebanon to target Hezbollah's leaders.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail

For grieving families like those in Nabatieh, recent days have brought more uncertainty about how long this war will continue. After Israeli forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Thursday, Hezbollah said it was entering a ‘new and escalating phase’ in its fight, with new types of missiles. Goran Tomasevic/The Globe and Mail
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So far, more than 2,000 people in Lebanon have died in the Israeli assault, with more than 1.2 million displaced. The Prime Minister, in his statement responding to the Nabatieh attacks, was skeptical of whether a ceasefire with Israel could stop the killing: ‘What solution is hoped for in light of this reality?’Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail

With reports from Associated Press and Reuters

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