**Civilians Caught in the Crossfire**
A civil engineer named Mohammed was injured when an Israeli airstrike hit his village in south Lebanon. He and his friends had been helping their elderly neighbors with food, but were caught off guard by the attack.
Mohammed, 29, suffered severe burns on his face, hands, and abdomen. Despite the pain and trauma he still feels two weeks later, he wants to share his story.
“I was just standing there, giving out hot food,” he said in a low tone. “Then I saw my friends bleeding a lot… It took about five minutes for people to get us out.”
Mohammed’s village, Arab Salim, has been under attack for over a week. There was no warning before the strike, and a policeman who was inside the house that was hit was also killed.
**Hospital Under Siege**
The Nabih Berri Government Hospital in Nabatieh is overwhelmed with casualties from Israeli air strikes. Dr. Hassan Wazni, the hospital director, says they receive 20-30 patients a day, mostly civilians.
“We accept all patients, all injured, all martyrs,” he said. “We don’t make distinctions between them.”
The hospital has only a skeleton crew and is struggling to pay its wages and fuel costs. Dr. Wazni is the only doctor who has not left the hospital in two years.
**Targeting Civilians**
Human Rights Watch says some Israeli attacks on Lebanon are “apparent war crimes”. Mohammed’s village, Arab Salim, was hit without warning, and a whole neighborhood was wiped out.
The Israeli army says it is targeting Hezbollah terrorists embedded in civilian populations. However, both Hezbollah and the Israeli government declined to comment for this story.
**A City Under Attack**
Nabatieh has been under attack for over a week, with many strikes taking place near the city’s main public hospital. The municipality building was blown up on October 16, killing the mayor and 16 others.
The Ottoman-era market in Nabatieh was destroyed on October 12, reducing its heritage to dust. Hussein, a civil defense volunteer, says he has lost colleagues and friends to Israeli air strikes.
“We will remain and continue to help people,” he said. “We are a safety net for the city.”