A devastating Israeli attack on a Lebanese family’s home claimed the life of a toddler and wounded several relatives as they gathered to mourn her father during what many believed was a ceasefire period.
Seven-year-old Aline Saeed clung to life, her small body wrapped in blood-soaked bandages after the strike devastated her family’s residence in the southern Lebanese village of Srifa. The attack occurred Wednesday as the family prepared to lay her father to rest, just as regional ceasefire hopes were spreading following U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks.
The bombing took place on the opening day of what many Lebanese citizens thought would extend a U.S.-Iran truce to their nation. However, Israeli military operations continued, resulting in over 350 deaths throughout Lebanon and adding four more Saeed family members to the casualty count.
“They said it was a ceasefire. Like all these people, we went up to the village. We went to the casket to read the prayers and walk home… suddenly we felt like a storm was landing right on us,” explained Nasser Saeed, the 64-year-old grandfather who managed to survive the blast.
On Sunday, family members gathered in the coastal city of Tyre to collect bodies shrouded in green fabric. Among them was the smallest bundle – containing his granddaughter Taleen, Aline’s younger sister who had not yet reached her second birthday.
Bearing head and hand bandages along with facial wounds, the elder Saeed grieved quietly while female relatives around him lifted their faces skyward, crying out in anguish.
The current Lebanese conflict erupted March 2nd when Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant organization, launched attacks on Israeli military positions in solidarity with Tehran.
Israel has since intensified both aerial bombardments and ground operations throughout Lebanon, with military actions resulting in more than 2,000 fatalities, including 165 children and nearly 250 women.
Pope Leo expressed solidarity with the “beloved Lebanese people” during Sunday’s address and urged for an immediate ceasefire. Speaking to worshippers gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff emphasized “a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the horrific effects of war.”
Wednesday marked one of Lebanon’s most deadly single days in recent memory.
“This isn’t humanity. This is a war crime,” Saeed declared to Reuters while visiting the medical facility where Aline’s mother, Ghinwa, remained under treatment.
“Where are the human rights? If a child – a child! – is wounded in Israel, the whole world jumps up. Are we not people? Are we not humans? We’re like them!” he demanded.
When questioned about the Srifa incident, Israeli military officials stated they were investigating reports of the strike.
Baby Taleen entered the world in 2024 during the previous round of intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
“She was born in the war and died in the war,” observed Mohammed Nazzal, Ghinwa’s father.
Iran seeks to include Lebanese ceasefire terms in ongoing negotiations with the United States, which ended Sunday without significant progress. Meanwhile, Israel prefers conducting separate discussions with Lebanese government representatives.
Intense bombing campaigns against Lebanon have persisted, with approximately 100 casualties reported Saturday alone.
Dr. Abbas Attiyeh, who oversees emergency services at Tyre’s Jabal Amel hospital, described last week’s bombardment as among the most severe in years, noting that many incoming patients were children.
“The challenges we’re facing now are the numbers of wounded that come at the same time, within the same 30 minutes or hour,” Attiyeh explained to Reuters.
