Residents walking on the rubble of a street in Mreijeh, after overnight Israeli bombardments, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Oct. 4, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out a strike on Friday on rescue workers who were at the site of a night strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, killing one person.
An Israeli strike “targeted civil defense teams clearing debris and attempting to rescue the wounded, resulting in one fatality among them,” according to a statement from the party. A source close to Hezbollah had previously reported the drone strike to AFP.
Earlier in the day, media reports, including from the Qatari channel al-Jazeera, indicated that three people were injured in the Mreijeh neighborhood after being targeted by an Israeli drone.
The drone strike occurred while a group of rescuers and journalists were touring the heavily bombarded area to assess the damage.
On Friday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has intensified his diplomatic efforts, urging them to pressure Israel to cease its attacks on rescue workers heading to sites targeted by its air force in order to transport the wounded and recover victims, reported the National News Agency (NNA).
In a press release from the Serail, Mikati "condemned these aggressions by the Israeli enemy, which are in violation of international law and humanitarian regulations."
A report by caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad today stated that the Israeli attacks have resulted in 97 deaths and 188 injuries among various rescue organizations, damaging 45 facilities and 128 vehicles.
According to NNA, the overnight strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs of Beirut hit, in addition to Mreijeh, the Hadi Nasrallah highway and the Hadath neighborhood. Several buildings collapsed, and others were damaged, including a stadium, a police station, the building housing the Mreijeh municipality, and a supermarket.
Since Oct. 8, the Israel attacks have killed at least 2,011, including 127 children and 261 women, and wounded at least 9,384.