Fatal airstrike in Lebanon’s south highlights repeated delays in evacuation efforts

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Every minute was measured in lost blood, and every drop of blood meant death was near. That is what two wounded men experienced after being trapped in the village of Blat in the Marjayoun District from Thursday afternoon until they were found dead on Friday.

Their ordeal began when they entered Blat to check on their home. An Israeli airstrike struck the area around 4 p.m. They managed to move, despite their injuries, toward nearby woodland, where they contacted the Lebanese army requesting rescue.

For hours, the army attempted to enter the area through the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, while the Red Cross remained on standby. However, authorization to proceed was granted too late.

When clearance was finally given, the Red Cross entered the area and discovered a total of six dead across different locations. Among them were the two wounded men who had bled to death, a mother and her child near a burned-out vehicle alongside remains, and the body of a young man on the main road.

The pattern has become increasingly frequent, even in villages not formally located within the so-called Yellow Line. This is the case in Blat and the nearby village of Dibbine.

Although both villages lie outside that line, they fall within an active operational zone and were struck on Thursday in about 15 raids carried out by warplanes and drones.

The message is clear: anyone entering operational zones may become a target, regardless of age, gender, or affiliation.

This reality is underscored by another incident between Zawtar and Maifadoun, where bodies have remained inside a vehicle for nearly six days, with authorization for their recovery still pending.

Meanwhile, efforts by the Lebanese army, the Red Cross, and Civil Defense continue without interruption to evacuate survivors.