Israeli strike in northern Lebanon region of Aito kills 22, top Hezbollah leader possible target

An Israeli strike hit the north Lebanon region of Aito on Monday, killing at least 22 people and injuring eight, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

According to AFP, this is the first time the Christian-majority area has been targeted by Israel in a year of hostilities.

“The Israeli enemy strike on the village of Aito… killed in a preliminary toll 21 people and injured eight. DNA tests are being conducted to determine the identity of body parts recovered at the strike site,” AFP quoted the health ministry as saying, referring to a village in the Christian-majority Zgharta district.

The health ministry earlier said the strike killed nine people, with the National News Agency also saying Israel targeted a “residential apartment” in the village.

According to a Times of Israel report, citing reports, Israel may have targeted a senior Hezbollah leader.

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So far, Israeli strikes have mainly been concentrated in predominantly Shia areas, where Hezbollah built its power base in a state wracked by sectarianism.

According to AFP, the strike has levelled a residential building at the entrance to the village.

Body parts were scattered in the rubble, with Red Cross volunteers searching for survivors in the wreckage while ambulances evacuated wounded people.

The Lebanese army imposed a security cordon in the area, where the strike had also sparked a fire, added the report.

Meanwhile, The US embassy in Lebanon strongly encouraged its citizens to leave Lebanon “now”, Reuters reported.

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The embassy added that additional flights it organised for its citizens traveling out of Beirut would not continue indefinitely.

On Saturday, the health ministry reported two dead and four wounded in an Israeli strike on Deir Billa, some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the town of Batroun on Lebanon’s north coast.

DNA tests were being carried out to determine the identity of the remains, the statement added.

After almost a year of cross-border fire over the Gaza war, Israel on September 23 launched an intense air campaign mainly targeting Hezbollah’s south and east Lebanon strongholds, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The escalation has killed more than 1,300 people, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

With inputs from agencies