Israeli Airstrikes Kill at Least 10 Fire Fighters in Southern Lebanon Town

At least 10 fire fighters in the southern Lebanon town of Baraachit were killed overnight when the municipal building they were in was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not commented directly on the attack, insisting it targeted only “Hezbollah-controlled” buildings in southern Lebanon.

The fire fighters were preparing to respond to the ongoing Israeli attacks across Lebanon when their building was hit. Rescue operations continue, with victims trapped in the rubble.

Rescue workers already came under repeated Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon before the recent Israeli invasion. Now, with attacks on rescue personnel increasing, their grim numbers will add to the total casualties in the warzone.

Officials say 118 rescuers have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past year, with more than 50 killed just in the past week. Caretaker Lebanese PM Najib Mikati has called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow rescue workers to safely access sites of previous strikes to rescue civilians.

Monday reports from Lebanese media are that the Israeli attacks today centered in the area around Tyre. Baraachit is further to the east, in the Bint Jbeil District. It was not known to be an active area with evacuation orders at the time of the overnight strike, but seemingly any area in Lebanon might be the next target.

Israel has been waging war in the Gaza Strip for a year now and has escalated into Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere in the region. It is not known what the goals of all this warfare are, but escalation seems to be the order of the day.