Israeli Strike Kills Young Cousins Playing Football
Lifeinmena Lebanon — Tragic civilian casualties continue to emerge from Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, as families recount the loss of loved ones amid ongoing conflict.
Ten-year-old Jawad Younes was killed in an Israeli strike targeting his uncle’s home while playing soccer outside with his cousin, who also died in the attack. Jawad’s uncle, described as a civilian design engineer admired within the family, was also among those killed.
Family members say that while they supported Hezbollah politically, they insist those killed were not active fighters. However, in many Shiite communities in southern Lebanon, such affiliations often draw suspicion of militant ties.
In a separate incident earlier in the month, another 10-year-old, Zeinab al-Jabali, was killed in an airstrike on her aunt’s home in the Bekaa Valley as she helped prepare for iftar. Her father, Hassan al-Jabali, said his wife and several daughters were injured in the strike on what he described as a house “full of girls.”
The violence has resurfaced painful memories for many families. Hassan noted that his own younger brother was killed in a similar Israeli airstrike during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, a conflict that contributed to the formation of Hezbollah.
While he acknowledged that a relative killed in the recent strike had previously been associated with “the resistance,” he emphasized the devastating impact on civilians.
As hostilities persist, these incidents highlight the growing humanitarian toll and the blurred lines between civilian life and militant presence in conflict-affected areas.
