LONDON: Three children and their grandmother were killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, Lebanese state media reported on Sunday.
The incident happened as the victims were driving through the town of Ghadmata. The car was being driven by Huda Hijazi, the mother of the children, who were aged 14, 12 and 10.
The fourth victim was Hijazi’s mother.
Hijazi is the niece of Lebanese radio correspondent Samir Ayoub, who was driving in a separate vehicle when the attack took place. Both Hijazi and Ayoub were injured in the blast.
#Breaking: Lebanese media: two cars were traveling on the road in the town of Ghadmata; the first belonged to journalist Samir Ayoub, and the second, which was hit by an israeli drone, was being driven by Huda Hijazi (Samir's niece), accompanied by her mother and her three… pic.twitter.com/syzyB6phLI
— Paula Naoufal | بولا نوفل (@PaulaNaoufal) November 5, 2023
Soon after the strike, Israeli media reported that the Israeli army had “shelled fighters on their way to target an Israeli settlement with missiles.”
Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told Reuters that the killing of the three children and their grandmother was “a dangerous development” in the conflict that would have repercussions.
“The enemy will pay the price for its crimes against civilians,” he said.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health described the attack as “a stark violation of international humanitarian law.”
Israel has yet to issue a statement.
