Lebanon’s PM slams Israel’s ‘war crimes’ as attack kills 3 rescue workers

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. play Live Sign up Show navigation menu Navigation menu News Show more news sections Africa Asia US & Canada Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Explained Opinion Sport Video More Show more sections Features Economy Human Rights Climate Crisis Investigations Interactives In Pictures Science & Technology Podcasts Travel play Live Click here to search search Sign up Navigation menu caret-left Israel attacks Lebanon Who was Haytham Ali Tabatabai? Why is Israel still in southern Lebanon? Has Hezbollah been weakened?

Voices from southern Lebanon A war to shape Lebanon’s future caret-right News | Israel attacks Lebanon Lebanon’s PM slams Israel’s ‘war crimes’ as attack kills 3 rescue workers Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also says Israel is violating international law that protects civilians and humanitarian workers. x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add on Google info play video play video Video Duration 01 minutes 42 seconds play-arrow 01:42 Israel attacks South Lebanon: Three emergency workers among 11 people killed Lebanon’s prime minister has accused Israel of perpetrating a “heinous crime” in the targeting and killing of civil defence emergency workers, three of whom were among five people killed in a double Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. Two successive ⁠Israeli strikes on a building in the town of Majdal Zoun on Tuesday killed five people, including three rescue workers who went to help those injured in ⁠the initial Israeli attack on the targeted building, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said.

The Details

“Targeting elements of the Civil Defence in Majdal Zoun, and their killing while carrying out their humanitarian duty, constitutes a new and described war crime perpetrated by Israel,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a post on social media. “It represents a flagrant violation of the principles and rules of international humanitarian law,” Salam said. “The government will spare no effort to condemn this heinous crime in international forums and to mobilise all efforts to compel Israel to cease its ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Lebanese Civil Defence told the news agency that the three rescuers were initially trapped under rubble by the ⁠second Israeli strike and were later confirmed to have died in the attack. The Lebanese army said that two of its troops were also wounded in the second Israeli strike that targeted its forces, the rescue workers and two civilian bulldozers. According to media reports, Israeli forces attacked a Lebanese military patrol, which was escorting the civil defence workers on the rescue mission at the site of the initial Israeli attack.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.