In brief
In a heartbreaking ceremony, the Younes family laid to rest 11-year-old Jawad and his uncle Ragheb, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike. The attack, part of the ongoing conflict involving Hezbollah, has left over 1,100 dead in Lebanon as civilians bear the brunt of the violence. Jawad's mother mourned her son, expressing his dream of martyrdom and resistance against Israel, as the tragic events continue to unfold with rising casualties and a humanitarian crisis.
A funeral has been held in a southern Lebanese village for an 11-year-old boy and his uncle who were killed in an Israeli air strike. Jawad Younes and his uncle, 41-year-old Ragheb Younes, were laid to rest in Saksakiyeh on Saturday after their family compound was hit a day earlier. They are among the latest casualties in Israel's offensive against the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, after the group fired rockets into Israel earlier this month amid the war between the US and Israel against Iran.Lebanese health officials say more than 1,100 people have been killed since the escalation began, with civilians increasingly caught in the crossfire. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the intended target of the strike that hit the Younes family compound.Hundreds gathered in Saksakiyeh town centre for Jawad and Ragheb's funeral. Women dressed in black robes wailed over the bodies, one of which was draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag - a reflection of the group's support in this largely Shia area. Malak Meslmani, Jawad's mother, sat beside her son's body with tears streaming down her face. My son is gentle and pure, she told the BBC. He loved the idea of martyrdom, and when he grew up, he wanted to be with the resistance. He wanted to resist the enemy Israel who killed him.As the funeral procession made its way to the grave site, the sound of Israeli air strikes echoed in the distance. Plumes of smoke rose above nearby hilltops. The Younes family home was hit shortly after 13:00 (11:00 GMT) on Friday while Jawad was playing football with his nine cousins.Standing in front of the ruins of his home, Jawad's father threw his hands in the air, shouting: I don't know! I don't know! when asked why the Israeli military had targeted the house. If this was a military base, no kids would be here, he told the BBC. Family members asserted that the Younes family was not involved with Hezbollah militarily.Five people survived the attack, and those wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, among them Jawad's aunt, Zeinab, who is recovering from serious injuries. There had been no warning prior to the strike, and she stated the family would have fled had they been alerted. Zeinab sustained a broken spine and a fractured leg, and while doctors are hopeful she will recover, extensive surgery will be necessary.Jawad and Ragheb's burial comes just a day after another family in the neighborhood buried two children and their mother, victims of Israeli bombardment amidst renewed air strikes across southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that the situation remains dire, with numerous civilians trapped in the cycle of violence as humanitarian needs escalate.
