Lebanese officials reported that Israeli military operations claimed the lives of at least 11 people on Easter Sunday, as violence continued to escalate in the region.
Seven fatalities occurred in the southern Lebanese village of Kfarhata, where Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed a 4-year-old child was among those killed in the strike. The attack came after Israeli forces had ordered residents to evacuate the area overnight.
A separate strike targeted the Jnah district of Beirut, resulting in four deaths and leaving 39 people wounded, according to ministry officials.
The violence unfolded as Lebanese Christians, representing approximately one-third of the nation’s population, observed Easter Sunday celebrations. The day became one of the deadliest since hostilities intensified in early March.
Residents of Beirut reported hearing constant sounds of explosions and military aircraft throughout the day. State media documented eight separate strikes hitting the capital’s southern suburbs.
Lebanese military officials also confirmed that one of their soldiers was killed in an Israeli operation in the country’s south earlier Sunday.
The previous day, Israeli forces had issued evacuation warnings for the Masnaa border crossing with Syria, Lebanon’s primary connection point with its neighbor. Military officials claimed the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization was using the crossing for military activities.
The current conflict began on March 2 when Hezbollah initiated rocket attacks against Israel in solidarity with Tehran. Israel responded with strikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon, creating what officials describe as the most significant regional escalation of the broader Middle East crisis.
Casualty figures have mounted on both sides. Sources indicate that over 400 Hezbollah fighters have been killed through late March, while Israeli military reports show at least 10 of their troops have died in southern Lebanon operations.
Lebanese health authorities updated their casualty count Sunday, reporting that Israeli attacks have killed 1,461 people since the conflict began, representing an increase of 39 deaths in approximately 24 hours. More than one million Lebanese have been forced from their homes.
Israeli officials have announced plans to establish a “security zone” extending up to 30 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Evacuation orders now cover roughly 15 percent of Lebanon’s land area.
Despite the warnings, tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens have chosen to remain in their homes in the south, including approximately 9,000 Lebanese Christians living in border communities who have expressed their determination to stay.
