Israeli strike kills student returning from exams in Beirut, alongside father and brother in Israeli strike near Nabatieh

BEIRUT — Three members of the same family — Theodosia, Tony, and James Karam — were killed Monday afternoon by an Israeli drone strike that struck their car as they were driving on the road between Nabatieh and the Khardali bridge, heading to their village of Qlaya in southern Lebanon.

The family had gone to Beirut earlier that morning so Theodosia, age 20, a Faculty of Science student, could sit her end-of-year exams, according to the village priest, Eid Farah, who was contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour. He confirmed that she was traveling with her father, Dr. James Karam, a dentist, and her younger brother, Tony, age 12.

All three were killed instantly when the drone struck their vehicle in the afternoon near the Khardali bridge, which spans the Litani River. A Lebanese Army checkpoint is located nearby, about five kilometers from Qlaya, a Christian village in the Marjayoun district on the edge of the "yellow line" marking the area occupied by Israel.

The priest added that funerals had not yet been held, as the bodies remain in a hospital in Nabatieh. Due to the security situation, a request was submitted to the "Mechanism" (set up after the Nov. 27, 2024 cease-fire) to obtain Israeli authorization to transfer the remains.

The Faculty of Science at the Lebanese University issued a statement Monday evening expressing condolences to the victims' family and condemning what it called a "cruel Israeli attack." "We mourn our beloved classmate who was martyred during a cruel Israeli assault ... This is what Israel is, the enemy that killed Theodosia, a student at Lebanese University and daughter of Qlaya."

The statement also said that the young woman was a volunteer with a relief organization, adding that she "never spared any effort" and that she left that day "to continue her studies and fulfill her university duties, before being killed on the way home."

Despite a nominal cease-fire on April 17 and the announcement of a halt in hostilities in Lebanon made Monday evening by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli strikes continued Tuesday in the South, causing further casualties. In its latest official count, the Health Ministry reported at least 3,433 killed and 10,395 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war resumed on March 2.