Gambiaj.com – (HANOUYEH, Lebanon) – In one of the deadliest attacks in Lebanon since the end of its civil war, Israeli airstrikes on Monday left over 550 people dead, including women and children, as tensions with Hezbollah escalated. Among those killed was Anna, a Gambian domestic worker in her early 30s, who had been living with the Saksouk family in the southern town of Hanouiyeh, in Tyre district, Reuters news agency reported.
The strike, which obliterated the Saksouk home, killed eight family members and their maid, leaving their surviving relatives grappling with profound grief and loss. Mohammad Saksouk, brother of one of the victims, expressed outrage at the indiscriminate nature of the attacks, which also demolished nearby civilian homes.
“My brother, his children, his wife, and even our Gambian worker were all killed,” Mohammad said. “We had nothing to do with Hezbollah or the conflict. Why are we paying the price for a war we didn’t choose?”
The victims of the Saksouk family included Hasan Saksouk, his two adult children Mohammad and Mona, Mohammad’s wife Fatima, their infant daughter Rima, and Mona’s three young children. Anna, who had worked with the family, was caught in the destruction and perished along with them.
The bombardment, which has torn through Lebanese towns since the conflict reignited on October 8, has left many families like the Saksouks displaced, homeless, and mourning the loss of their loved ones. Mohammad Saksouk, speaking from a temporary shelter, added, “We were living normal lives, now we’re homeless. Who will give us back our homes?”
In the nearby town of Saksakieh, similar scenes of devastation played out, where 11 civilians, including women and children, were killed in direct strikes on their homes. Ali Abbas, the town’s mayor, emphasized that there were no military installations in the area, calling the attacks “indiscriminate.”
Further south, the Gharib family, preparing for their daughter Maya’s wedding, suffered a similar fate when their home in Tyre was struck. Maya, her two sisters, and their parents were killed. The sole survivor, Reda Gharib, who had relocated to Senegal for work, mourned his family from afar as most flights were canceled due to the ongoing violence.
“We are a family with no political ties, but we stand against aggression,” Reda said. “Now, after losing my family, I want Hezbollah to fight Israel until victory.”
As Lebanon reels from the bloodshed, hundreds more families remain at risk amid continuous Israeli air raids and Hezbollah rocket fire, raising concerns about further casualties and the broader humanitarian crisis.
Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid a months-long exchange of cross-border fire.
The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip which has killed nearly 39,700 people since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Source: Reuters
