Israeli strike on south Lebanon building killed mostly civilians

Israel’s “deadliest” strike on a building in southern Lebanon killed mostly civilians, despite the Israeli army claiming it had targeted a “command centre” for Hezbollah, the BBC found.

Out of the 73 people who were killed in the strike on a six-storey building in Ain El Delb on 29 September, 62 of the 68 were civilians, according to an investigation by BBC Eye.

Twenty-three children were among those killed, including months-old babies, despite the army claiming that “the overwhelming majority” of those targeted were “confirmed to be terror operatives” and that the Israeli military had killed a “Hezbollah commander”.

Evidence suggested that only six people were linked to Hezbollah’s military wing, while none identified appeared to hold a senior rank.

The BBC said it decided to investigate the strike after the Israeli army had failed to clarify what 

constituted a “Hezbollah command centre” despite asking “multiple times”.

The broadcaster interviewed survivors of the attack, analysed data from the Lebanese health ministry, and reviewed videos and social media posts.

The six men featured in Hezbollah memorial photos were labelled “Mujahid”, meaning “fighter”.

The Israeli army did not respond when the BBC asked whether the six men they identified were the intended targets of the strike.

One of the reported fighters was allegedly a reservist for the group, according to comments by his wife, who said he had never held a formal rank in Hezbollah, was not paid by the group nor participated in combat. 

Responding to the investigation, the Israeli army said the “strikes on military targets are subject to relevant provisions of international law, including taking feasible precautions”.

The army alleged that attacks were “carried out after an assessment that the expected collateral damage and civilian casualties are not excessive in relation to the military advantage expected from the strike”.

The army had earlier told the BBC it had evacuated the building, but survivors said they had received no warning.

During its latest war on Lebanon, the Israeli army repeatedly targeted entire buildings, killing many civilians. The army levelled four residential buildings in a strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut suburb on 27 September.

Israel’s war on Lebanon killed over 3,960 people between October 2023 and November 2024, most of them civilians.