Arabic version: رئيس وزراء لبنان يدين الضربات الإسرائيلية بعد مقتل عمال الإنقاذ

Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, has condemned Israel for what he describes as a “heinous crime” following the deaths of three civil defense emergency workers in southern Lebanon. The workers were killed during a double Israeli strike in the town of Majdal Zoun, which targeted a building and resulted in five fatalities overall, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

According to Al Jazeera, Salam stated that the targeting of civil defense personnel while they were performing their humanitarian duties constitutes a new and described war crime perpetrated by Israel. He pledged that the Lebanese government would work to condemn this act on international platforms and seek to compel Israel to halt its ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement.

The Lebanese Civil Defense reported that the three rescuers were initially trapped under rubble from the second strike and were later confirmed dead. Additionally, two Lebanese soldiers suffered injuries in the same attack, which also targeted civilian bulldozers assisting in the rescue efforts.

Despite a ceasefire mediated by the United States, Israeli air strikes continue to inflict casualties in Lebanon, particularly in the southern and eastern regions. In response to these violations, Hezbollah has retaliated by launching rockets and drones into Israeli territory.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also criticized the strikes, emphasizing that the killings of the civil defense workers are part of a broader pattern of attacks against first responders. He highlighted that such actions violate international laws designed to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. The Health Ministry reported that at least eight people died in various attacks across Lebanon on the same day, raising the total death toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 to 2,534, with 7,863 injuries reported.