An Israeli airstrike on Wednesday destroyed the municipal headquarters in Nabatieh, a major town in southern Lebanon, killing 16 people, including the town’s mayor.
The attack, which also injured more than 50 people, marks the most significant strike on an official Lebanese state building since Israel’s air campaign began.
Lebanese officials, including caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, condemned the attack, accusing Israel of intentionally targeting a municipal council meeting focused on aiding people displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Mikati called the strike evidence that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah has now expanded to targeting the Lebanese state itself.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, speaking from northern Israel, stated that Israel would not pause its assault on Hezbollah for negotiations, insisting that the militant group was under “great distress.” Gallant reiterated that negotiations would only occur “under fire.”
Israel launched its military campaign in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s support of Palestinian militant group Hamas and has since targeted Hezbollah strongholds, including leadership assassinations and ground operations in southern border towns. The goal, according to Israeli officials, is to dismantle Hezbollah and ensure the safety of Israelis living in the north.
Nabatieh, a city with tens of thousands of residents, had received an evacuation notice from Israel earlier in October. Despite the warnings, the town’s mayor, Ahmed Kahil, had refused to leave.
Israel’s military claimed to have struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh region and dismantled a tunnel network used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces near the border.
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