Funeral Held for Boy and Uncle in Southern Lebanon
A funeral took place in the southern Lebanese village of Saksakiyeh for 11-year-old Jawad Younes and his uncle, 41-year-old Ragheb Younes, who were killed in an Israeli air strike. The attack on their family compound occurred on Friday shortly after 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
Jawad and Ragheb were among the latest casualties in the ongoing Israeli offensive against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group. This escalation followed Hezbollah's rocket attacks into Israel earlier this month amid the broader conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran.
Lebanese health officials report that over 1,100 people have died since the conflict intensified, with civilians increasingly caught in the crossfire. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment regarding the intended target of the strike that hit the Younes family home.
Funeral and Community Response
Hundreds gathered in the town center of Saksakiyeh for the funeral of Jawad and Ragheb. Women dressed in black robes mourned loudly over the bodies, one of which was draped with Hezbollah's yellow flag, reflecting the group's support in this predominantly Shia area.
Jawad's mother, Malak Meslmani, sat beside her son's body, tears streaming down her face.
"My son is gentle and pure," she said.
"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 moved toward the gravesite, the sound of Israeli air strikes echoed in the distance, with plumes of smoke rising above nearby hills.
Details of the Strike and Family Statements
The strike on the Younes family home occurred while Jawad was playing football with his nine cousins. His father, Hussein Younes, stood before the ruins of their home, expressing confusion and grief when asked why the Israeli military targeted their house.
"I don't know! I don't know!" he exclaimed.
"If this was a military base, no kids would be here."
Multiple family members and local council officials told the BBC that the family had no military involvement with Hezbollah.
Five people survived the attack and were taken to a nearby hospital, including Jawad's aunt, Zeinab.
"Before it happened, me and my husband were inside," Zeinab said through tears from her hospital bed.
"We didn't see anything, and we didn't hear anything... Then I found myself under a pile of rubble."
Zeinab is being treated for a broken spine and a fractured leg. Doctors are hopeful she will walk again but anticipate she will require extensive surgery. She stated there was no warning before the strike and that the family would have fled if alerted.
Additional Casualties and Ongoing Conflict
The burial of Jawad and Ragheb came a day after another family in the same neighborhood buried two children and their mother, also killed in Israeli bombardment amid a wave of strikes across southern Lebanon.
On Saturday, three Lebanese journalists were killed in what authorities described as a targeted Israeli strike on their media vehicle. Among them was Ali Shoeib, a well-known correspondent for Al Manar TV, a Hezbollah-affiliated station.
The Israeli army labeled Shoeib a Hezbollah member who had been exposing Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon, though no evidence was provided to support this claim.
Lebanon's President, Joseph Aoun, condemned the attack as a "blatant crime" violating all norms protecting journalists during war.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has previously accused Israel of repeatedly killing media professionals while alleging they were militants without credible evidence.
Also on Saturday, an Israeli air strike killed five paramedics in the town of Zoutar. Human rights groups have stated that Israel's repeated attacks on healthcare workers in Lebanon may constitute war crimes.
Wider Impact and Humanitarian Concerns
Since 2 March, Israeli air strikes have heavily impacted towns and villages across Lebanon, while ground forces continue advancing in the south as part of the ongoing offensive. Israel maintains its operations target Hezbollah, but civilians remain frequently among the casualties.
On Friday, the UN refugee agency warned that Lebanon faces a worsening humanitarian crisis that could become catastrophic, with over one million people displaced.
Lebanon remains caught in a cycle of violence, with both Israel and Hezbollah vowing to continue fighting despite the mounting human toll.
Many, including surviving members of the Younes family, express their willingness to endure the consequences.
"We are not afraid of the war, because we are not afraid of death," said Ali, Zeinab's son.
