Jawad Younes, aged 11, and his cousins enjoyed their usual soccer game in the shared lot near their houses. When Jawad’s younger brother Mehdi got tired, Jawad escorted him home to their mother before resuming play. Shortly after, an Israeli strike hit their uncle’s residence, causing the nearby buildings to shake and knocking Jawad’s siblings to the ground. Amidst the chaos, their mother Malak Meslmani, focused on locating Jawad.
Tragically, Jawad lost his life in the Israeli strike on March 27 in Saksakieh, along with his cousin, while several other children sustained injuries. Meslmani described her son as a civilian, although their family, like numerous Shia households in southern Lebanon, supported Hezbollah, a militant group and political party established in the 1980s to combat Israel’s presence in the region.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has resulted in the deaths of 168 children, out of over 2,100 total casualties, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Israel’s strikes have often targeted alleged Hezbollah members in their homes, sometimes far from the front lines and amidst civilian populations, with the military citing the mingling of militants with civilians. Families of the deceased children accuse Israel of war crimes due to the high number of civilian casualties.
In the current conflict, Israel has reported the deaths of two civilians and 13 soldiers, with one civilian falling victim to mistaken Israeli fire. While acknowledging the loss of children in their strikes, the Israeli military emphasized targeting Hezbollah facilities and members but provided limited evidence. International laws prohibit direct attacks on civilians, although collateral damage is permissible if proportional to the military objectives.
According to Charles Trumbull, a legal expert, assessing whether strikes met proportionality standards is challenging without knowledge of targets and awareness of children’s presence. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, experienced in treating war-injured children, highlighted cases where children were trapped under rubble in their homes.
The story of ten-year-old Zeinab al-Jabali, who perished in a strike that injured her family, reflects the war’s lasting impact. Her father, Hassan al-Jabali, shared his family’s history of losses due to conflicts involving Israel. The strikes have left many families shattered, with grief overshadowing any hope for recovery.
While the ongoing conflict has divided opinions among Lebanese citizens regarding Hezbollah’s role, Meslmani, Jawad’s mother, emphasized their unwavering support for the resistance movement. The devastating consequences of the Israeli strikes have strengthened the resolve of some Lebanon residents in backing Hezbollah.
The casualties, including children like Jawad and Zeinab, serve as stark reminders of the toll of war and the enduring cycle of violence in the region.
