A BBC investigation has revealed that the majority of those killed in Israel’s deadliest airstrike on Lebanon in nearly two decades were civilians, challenging claims by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that the building targeted was a Hezbollah “terrorist command center.” The missile strike, which occurred on 29 September in the village of Ain El Delb, claimed 73 lives, including 23 children, and reduced the six-story residential building to rubble. The IDF stated the strike was intended to eliminate a Hezbollah commander and claimed that “the overwhelming majority” of those killed were members of the armed group. However, the BBC’s findings, based on Lebanese Health Ministry data, social media tributes, and survivor testimonies, identified 68 victims, of whom only six were linked to Hezbollah’s military wing. None held senior ranks within the organization. The strike shattered families. Ashraf Ramadan, a survivor, lost his sister Julia and mother Janan in the attack. Julia, who had sought refuge in the family apartment after fleeing Beirut, was one of 62 civilians killed. Her last words, Ashraf recalls, were calls for her brother, and other families faced similar devastation The IDF described the building…
Majority Killed by Israel in Lebanon’s Deadliest Strike Were Civilians: BBC Investigation
January 24, 2025
