Relatives of the student and her family gather in front of their coffins during their funeral, held on June 3, 2026, in Qlaya. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — Residents of the Christian-majority village of Qlaya, near the Israeli-declared "buffer zone" it now occupies, held the funeral on Wednesday for a dentist and his two children who were killed by an Israeli drone strike on their car on Monday.
The strike killed James Karam, his son Tony, and his daughter Theodosia, a student at the Lebanese University who was returning from exams in Beirut. The Israeli drone hit their car on the road linking Nabatieh to the Khardali bridge as they headed home to Qlaya, in the Marjayoun district.
Authorities postponed the funeral until they secured authorization through the "Mechanism" — the cease-fire monitoring committee established in November 2024 — to transfer the bodies to Qlaya.
MP Melhem Khalaf said he attended the funeral in Qlaya. "Targeting innocent civilians is a heinous crime that cannot be justified under any circumstances and constitutes a blatant violation of international law," Khalaf wrote on X.
"I insist on the need to guarantee safe and sustainable corridors that ensure residents' freedom of movement and access to essential needs, thereby allowing them to remain on their land in dignity and security," he added.
Khalaf also attended the funeral of Deir Mimas mayor Souheil Abou Jamra in the neighboring town, who was shot dead on Monday by a member of the Internal Security Forces.
Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday on the implementation of a cease-fire and the creation of "pilot zones" under Lebanese Army control following two days of talks in Washington. Despite the announcement, Israeli strikes continued Thursday on south Lebanon.
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