A funeral has been held in a southern Lebanese village for an 11-year-old boy and his uncle who were killed in an Israeli air strike. Jawad Younes and his uncle, 41-year-old Ragheb Younes, were laid to rest in Saksakiyeh on Saturday after their family compound was hit a day earlier. They are among the latest casualties in Israel's offensive against Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, which began after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel earlier this month amidst the ongoing war with the US and Israel against Iran. More than 1,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began, with civilians increasingly caught in the crossfire.
Hundreds gathered for the funeral service in Saksakiyeh town centre, with women dressed in black weeping over the bodies, one draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag, indicative of the group's support in the largely Shia area. Jawad's mother, Malak Meslmani, sat beside her son's body in tears, recalling how her son dreamed of martyrdom and wanted to resist Israel. As the funeral procession made its way to the gravesite, the sound of Israeli air strikes resonated in the distance.
The Israeli military did not respond to inquiries about the intended target of the strike that hit the Younes family home. Jawad's father expressed disbelief, asking why the military would target a home where children were playing football. The grave situation has elicited outrage and sorrow, especially as nearby families also mourn children lost in the conflict. Amid the chaos, many survivors and families remain defiant, resolutely supporting their beliefs in the face of war's harsh realities.
Hundreds gathered for the funeral service in Saksakiyeh town centre, with women dressed in black weeping over the bodies, one draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag, indicative of the group's support in the largely Shia area. Jawad's mother, Malak Meslmani, sat beside her son's body in tears, recalling how her son dreamed of martyrdom and wanted to resist Israel. As the funeral procession made its way to the gravesite, the sound of Israeli air strikes resonated in the distance.
The Israeli military did not respond to inquiries about the intended target of the strike that hit the Younes family home. Jawad's father expressed disbelief, asking why the military would target a home where children were playing football. The grave situation has elicited outrage and sorrow, especially as nearby families also mourn children lost in the conflict. Amid the chaos, many survivors and families remain defiant, resolutely supporting their beliefs in the face of war's harsh realities.
