On the afternoon of Sunday, September 29, 2024, at least 60 civilians, including at least 25 women and at least 19 children were likely killed and at least two and as many as to 58 civilians were reported injured, in an alleged Israeli strike on two residential buildings located in Ain al-Delb, Saida, southern Lebanon. According to the sources, one of the buildings allegedly contained the apartment of one of Hezbollah’s party officials. It collapsed entirely and was levelled to the ground. Given the large number of civilian casualties, many sources called the incident “the Ain Al-Delb massacre.” Many of those killed in the strikes had been displaced from villages and towns in the southern Lebanese regions.

One alleged militant was killed in the strike – the head of Hezbollah’s regional security committee. The BBC reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted the building claiming it was a Hezbollah “terrorist command centre”, noting that it “eliminated” a Hezbollah commander. The BBC also noted that “it added that “the overwhelming majority” of those killed in the strike were “confirmed to be terror operatives””.

On the day of the alleged attack, the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) – Sidon Center reported the first casualties and injuries resulting from the attack: “The targeting of two buildings in the Ain al-Delb area resulted in the deaths of 32 martyrs and 53 wounded as a preliminary result. Four teams from the Ambulance and Emergency Department at the Islamic Medical Association in Sidon responded and headed to the targeted site, where they worked to transport six injuries and three martyrs to the city’s hospitals, in addition to providing first aid to five injuries in the field. Our teams are still present at the site until the end of the search and rubble removal operations. Mercy to the martyrs. Healing to the wounded.” The IMA also shared a series of photos from the rescue efforts, showing numerous uniformed rescue workers and others combing through the rubble of the collapsed buildings.

Multiple sources reported the final casualty count for the alleged strike as 71 killed and 58 wounded. Mohi El-Din Antar described the attack as “the biggest massacre since the beginning of the aggression on Lebanon” and said that “the work of removing the rubble from the site of the Ain al-Delb/Sidon massacre committed by the brutal [Israeli military] on Sunday has ended, and the final toll is 71 martyrs and 58 wounded.” According to Facebook user Lina Messi, “the capital of the south – the city of Sidon – bid farewell to the martyrs of the Israeli massacre committed by the [Israeli] enemy in Ain al-Delb with a solemn procession, which claimed the lives of 71 martyrs and wounded 58.” This account also shared a number of photos from a funeral and subsequent burial ceremony.

According to Lebanon MP Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri’s Facebook page, “MP Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Bizri participated in praying for the souls of the martyrs of the Ain al-Delb massacre and accepting condolences, condemning the continuation of the [Israeli] massacres against civilians, which amount to genocide and war crimes, considering that the cover enjoyed by the Israeli enemy politically, diplomatically, intelligence, security and militarily allows it to commit more crimes against safe citizens and to target residential buildings and destroy them completely. Al-Bizri also confirmed that the Ain al-Delb massacre led to the martyrdom of 60 martyrs so far and a large number of wounded in addition to a large number of missing persons who are believed to still be under the rubble.”

On social media, loved ones grieved the loss of their friends, family, and community members. The Al Buss News Facebook page wrote “Ain al-Hilweh camp mourns a number of its sons as martyrs in the Ain al-Delb raid” and shared photos of 20 people, including many women and children who were victims of the alleged Israeli attack. Facebook user Mahmoud A. Korja shared photos of 11 people who were killed in the strike.

Fares family

The Fares family lost nine family members in the strike, including three children. Hussein Fares and his wife Hoda Mousa, both in their 50s,  were killed along with their daughter Yara Hussein Fares, their son Ali Hussein Fares, Ali’s wife Hawra Hammadi, and Ali and Hawra’s sons, small children Hassan Ali Fares and Hussein Ali Fares. Mohammed Yousef Fares was killed with his little daughter Hawra Mohammed Fares. A Facebook page for the town of Aytaroun in southern Lebanon honored the Fares family, sharing photos of those who were killed and writing that “Aytaroun mourns its martyrs who died as a result of the aggression in the Ain al-Dalb area. My deepest condolences to their families, loved ones, and all the people of Aytaroun. Martyr Hussein Fares and his wife Hoda Mousa, their daughter Yara Hussein Fares, their son Ali Hussein Fares and his sons Hassan and Hussein, and the martyr Mohammed Youssef Fares and his little daughter Hawra Mohammed Fares.” Mazen Al Ghoul wrote that “after the Ain al-Delb massacre, Aytaroun bids farewell to its nine moons: Hussein Ali Fares, Huda Musa, Yara Hussein Fares, Ali Hussein Fares and his sons Hassan and Hussein, Hawra Hammadi, Mohammad Yousef Fares and his daughter Hawra.” Accompanying the tribute, Mazen shared smiling photos of the victims.

Based on the photos shared by the Facebook page of the Aytaroun, Hassan and Hussein were likely very young boys – potentially under age of five. Smiling Ali Fares, a man appearing in his late 20s or early 30s dressed in a white shirt and a black suit, was holding one of the sons while his wife was holding another one. The post by Aytaroun also contained an image of the young girl Hawra Mohammed Fares wearing a red dress and a white bow in her hair and standing near a blooming orchid. Judging from the picture, she was no older than five or six years of age. Another image was of a young woman Yara Hussein Fares who was in her 20s and wore an emerald dress with an emerald headscarf. Another image pictured Mohammed Yousef Fares who was a man likely in his 30s with a dark hear and a ginger beard dressed in a grey hoodie.

Albaba/Ramadan family

Facebook user Ali Ramadan mourned the deaths of Janan Ahmed Albaba and her daughter Julia Ramadan who were killed in the alleged Israeli strike, by sharing a photo of Janan smiling and hugging her daughter at a cafe. According to Al Arabiya Lebanon post, Julia “was helping the displaced and providing them with food…[and] lost her life in the Ain al-Delb massacre, along with dozens of people in the violent Israeli raid that targeted the residential building east of Sidon.” The video by Al Arabiya Lebanon juxtaposed the images of happy Julia living a peaceful life in Lebanon with the harrowing images of the strike and the destruction left afterwards.

Facebook user Roy M. Bukhari shared a smiling photo of Julia who was a young woman with a long brown curly hair dressed in a burgundy pullover and grieved her death, saying “I never expected the day to come when I would mourn you, my friend ?? A dear, precious friend…you were the one who, until the last moment, was trying to help the displaced and carrying everyone’s concerns ?? Julia Ramadan, a martyr in today’s raid.”

Fatayerji family

Mohammed Shafiq Fatayerji and his daughter Ghadeer Fatayerji were also killed in the incident. The Saida Youth Facebook page honored them by sharing a smiling photo of Mohammed driving a car and writing “among the martyrs of the Ain al-Delb massacre: Mahammed Shafiq Fatayerji and his daughter. Congratulations on your martyrdom ❤️” Mohammed appears with short dark hair and a dark trimmed beard. He was wearing a beige pullover in the photo.

Facebook user Nour Ali shared a photo of Ghadeer and wrote “Congratulations my love, we will miss you a lot, you are the sweetest girl, your innocence is what made you martyred, next to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad: the martyr Ghadeer Muhammad Fatayerji.” Nour also shared an image of Ghadeer. In the image, Ghadeer – a child – wears a red hijab and tan abaya. The background of the photo seems to show other girls wearing the same outfit, suggesting the photos was from a scout or other youth group event.

Zain family

Bintjbeil.org honored the passing of Mazen al-Zain, an employee in Lebanese customs, and his daughter Masa al-Zain by sharing a photo of the father and daughter smiling at the camera together. Mazen was a grey-haired man wearing a peach-coloured shirt and jeans, while Masa was wearing a white-blue flowered dress.

Facebook user Saad Bejjani shared a picture of Masa posing with her father while wearing her graduation attire and holding her diploma. Another photo shows Mazen dressed in his Lebanese customs official uniform. The caption of the post prays “eternal rest grant them, O Lord, and let your eternal light shine upon them. With great sorrow and grief, our comrade and friend in the Lebanese Customs, Mazen al-Zain, and his daughter were martyred in an enemy raid on his home.”

Niemeh family

An employee of MEAB bank who was displaced from his home village in the search for safety, Mohammed Niemeh, and his infant son Hassan Mohammed Niemeh were also killed in the strike. On Facebook, Haboush Jannah shared a precious photo of Mohammed holding and kissing baby Hassan and wrote “the child Hassan Mohammed Niemeh is a martyr, one of the martyrs of Ain al-Delb.”

MEAB Bank honored Mohammed in a Facebook post, writing “with deep sorrow and grief, we mourn our dear colleague, martyr Mohammad Niehme, from the Internal Audit Department, who was martyred on Sunday, September 29, 2024, as a result of a barbaric act. While seeking to escape the brutal aggression, Mohammed moved with his family from his village in Haboush, Nabatieh District, to Ain El Delb, Sidon District, believing it to be a safe haven. Unfortunately, an enemy raid targeted the building they were in, tragically killing him and his young child and injuring several members of his family. Mohammed was a loyal and beloved colleague in our large family at MEAB Bank, and his dedication, noble spirit, commitment to his work and noble morals will never be forgotten.”

Ahmed family

An elderly woman Nuzha al-Amin was killed in the alleged Israeli strike along with her son-in-law Adi Ali Ahmed, Adi’s son Hussein Adi Ali Ahmed, and Adi’s daughter Hawra Adi Ali Ahmed. Yajnoub News reported that “from the Ain al-Delb massacre/Sidon, Aytaroun mourns the martyr Nahza al-Amin, her son-in-law, the educator Adi Ali Ahmad, and her two grandchildren Hussein and Hawra.”

Facebook account of GLIS Media mourned the loss of Adi and Hussein by sharing photos of the man and his son and writing “with more pride and submission to God’s judgment, the effect of the traitor enemy on Ain al-Delb, O Allah, accept this sacrifice from us: the happy martyrs Hussein Adi Ali Ahmed and Adi Dakhil Allah Ali Ahmed.” The post contained the photo of Adi who was a man in his 40s with a large forehead, dark hair and a dark trimmed beard, wearing a checkered shirt and a brown jacket, and of his son Hussein who was a teenager pictured wearing a Heybollah scout uniform.

A Facebook post by Yajnoub 2 contained an image of Nuzha al-Amin, a woman in her 60s wearing a dark headscarf, and of her grandchildren Hussein and Hawra wearing scouts’ uniforms.

Mrdaa (Murda’a) family

On Twitter/X, @Israa02m announced the news that “an entire Palestinian family from the Neirab refugee camp in Aleppo, northern Syria, was martyred in the Ain al-Delb massacre in Sidon, southern Lebanon, after a residential building was targeted yesterday. The Mrdaa family had been displaced from Syria to Lebanon due to the security situation in previous years.”

Amal Salah Mrdaa (Murda’a) (neé al-Din al-Hakawati) and her husband Mohammed Jamal Mrdaa were killed, along with their son Jalal Mohammed Mrdaa, daughters Malak Mohammed Mrdaa and Riham Mohammed Mrdaa and a granddaughter Nihal Mohammed Mrdaa.

Facebook account “Afrin News” shared a black-white collage of the deceased family members where it is seen that Nahal was still a child around 10 years old.

Facebook user Gamila Laz shared photos of Mohammed and Jalal and wrote that “my uncle and his family have passed away: Mohammed Jamal Mrdaa, Amal al-Mrdaa (his wife), Jalal al-Mrdaa (his son), Riham Mrdaa (his daughter), Malak Mrdaa (his daughter), Nahal Mrdaa (his daughter) – in addition to the grandchildren…They were martyred in an Israeli raid on Sidon this evening.”

The Lebanon Post Camps Facebook page shared a black-and-white photo of Malak Mrdaa wearing her graduation attire and explained that “the young woman…is a Palestinian martyr in the Ain al-Delb building massacre in Sidon. Malak had hoped to enter university after completing her high school education at Bisan School in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.” The Neirab Camp Facebook page honored “the son of the camp, Muhammad Jamal Mrdaaa, his wife, children and grandchildren, who were martyred in a treacherous [Israeli] massacre…which claimed the lives of more than 40 martyrs” and shared photos of the members of the Mrdaa family who were killed. In a funeral announcement, the Saida Gate Facebook page mourned the loss of the Mrdaa family as well.

Zaatari family

The Saida Gate Facebook page announced the deaths and funeral arrangements of Hanan Salah al-Din al-Hakawati and her husband Nazih Hassan Zaatari, describing the couple’s killing as “the impact of [Israeli] aggression in Ain al-Deb.”

Abdullah family 

Facebook user Mero Natour mourned the loss of 62-year-old former member of Fatah movement, writer and researcher Radwan Ibrahim Saleh Abdullah (Abu Muhammad) and his wife Ibtisam Hussein al-Maqdah by sharing a charming photo of them and writing that “the eye sheds tears, the heart grieves, and we are truly saddened by your departure. My aunt Radwan Abdullah’s husband and my aunt Ibtisam al-Maqdah have passed away as a result of the [Israeli] raid on Ain al-Delb/Sidon.” A funeral announcement shared by the Saida Gate Facebook page states that Radwan and Ibtisam “will be prayed over during the mass funeral to all the martyrs of the criminal Ain al-Delb massacre committed by the [Israeli] enemy.”

About a week after the deadly strike, Orabi Kalloub posted a lengthy tribute to “Martyr/Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Radwan Saleh Ibrahim Abdullah (Abu Muhammad).” The post explained that Radwan “was born in Tyre, southern Lebanon, in 1962. His family’s roots go back to the town of Umm al-Faraj, Acre District, in 1948, from which they emigrated following the Nakba that befell the Palestinian people, and they were expelled and displaced from their homes to places of diaspora, asylum, and poverty in camps in Arab countries. He completed his primary and preparatory studies and obtained his high school diploma. He joined the Lebanese University and obtained a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science.

He joined the ranks of the Fatah movement in the early eighties…and was arrested by the Israeli army during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 1982 and placed in Ansar prison. He was released with the detainees in the prisoner exchange operation in 1983. He rose through the ranks of the Fatah movement…He was a founding cadre of the Fatah student movement at the Lebanese University…He was the head of the Palestinian Scouts Pioneers Authority in Lebanon. Dr. Radwan Saleh Ibrahim Abdullah is a writer, media professional and researcher. He has a number of publications, books and research on refugee issues, UNRWA files and the problems of brothers who lack identity papers. He has many Palestinian, Fatah and organizational articles and studies. We knew him as a solid, cultured leader who defended the rights and issues of his people. He was a unique fighter who carried out his national mission with all honesty and sincerity, and with all determination…Dr. Radwan Saleh Ibrahim Abdullah is the head of the Palestinian Graduates Association from Lebanese Universities and Institutes. Dr. Radwan Saleh Ibrahim Abdullah was married on 1/10/1994 and has a number of children”.

As all tributes to Dr. Radwan associated him with Fatah, which is not known to currently be in active combat with Israel or other states or groups in the region, coupled with the fact that any potential militant references to Dr. Radwan, ie. “Lieutenant Colonel” and “fighter” refer to a historical timeline, and not current activities, Airwars has recorded Dr. Radwan as a civilian. This will be updated should additional information become available.

Qubaisi family

A young woman Batoul Zbeeb, her husband Ali Sajid Qubaisi, their infant son Noah Ali Qubaisi, and Ali’s sisters Alaa Qubaisi and Fatima Sajid Qubaisi, also lost their lives in the alleged Israeli airstrike. . A Facebook page called “Our village is better” shared a beautiful photo of Batoul, Ali and baby Noah with the caption “young man Ali Qubisi, his wife Batoul Zbeeb and their child Noah from the martyrdom of Ain al-Delb massacre.” They were a young couple in their 20s.

Al-Din family

Eight-year-old Hussein Badr al-Din and his 50-year-old grandmother Ansar Jaber were also among the victims of the deadly strike. Facebook user Shoaib Asim shared a smiling photo of the little boy dressed in his football uniform and holding a handful of gold medals and wrote that “Hussein Badr al-Din (Hani Tawfiq’s grandson) was martyred in the Ain al-Delb raid… [he was] ambitious, smart, and cunning in football.”

Noureddine family

Hussein’s first cousin, Aliya Noureddine was also killed, along with her daughter Fatima Sajid Qubaisi and son Ali Sajid Qubaisi. The son of another one of Hussein’s first cousins, 13-year-old Ali Ahmed Noureddine, was killed alongside his 10-year-old brother Mohammed Baqir Ahmed Noureddine and a housekeeper who is believed to have been from Ethiopia. Airwars has assumed that the housekeeper was an adult female, and has included her in the range of women killed. This will be updated should additional information become available.

Skafi family

A middle-aged man Ali Skafi, his wife, an educator Abeer Hallaq, and their three young sons Mahmoud Ali Skafi, Majd Ali Skafi, and Malek Ali Skafi were killed as well. The Saida TV Facebook page mourned the deaths of the Skafi family, sharing a smiling photo of them and writing that “Al Qalaa High School mourns its dear deceased, the virtuous educator Abeer Hallaq, who passed away with her family (her husband Ali Skafy, and her sons Mahmoud, Majd, and our little student Malek) in the “Ain al-Dalb” massacre committed by the treacherous enemy. Abeer… you left a burning ember in our hearts, we, your colleagues, will always miss you and we will miss you very much, you were a good colleague, companion and friend to us…We offer our sincere condolences to her family (Al-Hallaq family) and to her husband’s family (Al-Skafi family)…May God protect Lebanon and its people.”

Ali Skafi was a man in his 40s with a short grey hair, a short trimmed grey beard and wearing glasses wearing a white shirt. His wife was a woman in her 30s or early 40s wearing a dark dress and a beige headscarf. Judging from the photo shared by Saida TV, their sons were all apparently under age of 18.

Al-Rawas family

Mohi al-Din al-Rawas was killed alongside his daughter, Nermin al-Rawas, and his son, Ali al-Rawas.

A woman named Deniz al-Baba who was also a member of Al-Rawas family was also killed On Facebook, Farah Jradi Gramat posted beautiful photos of Nermin, Mohi, Ali, and Deniz, and wrote “May God have mercy on you and give us patience in the separation Nermin al-Rawas, Ali al-Rawas, Mohi al-Din al-Rawas, Deniz al-Baba.”

Hisham Hosni al-Baba was injured. Facebook user Moustafa Baba posted a powerful photo of Hisham being rescued from the debris and wrote “thank God, Hisham Hosni al-Baba the cousin is alive despite the long hours in the Ain al-Delb raid under the rubble. A short while ago, he was pulled out alive. Through the lens of colleague Mohamed Zenati he warmed our hearts..”

Awarkeh family

The head of Hezbollah’s security committee in Sidon Ahmed Awarkeh was killed in the strike alongside his wife Nawal Assi, and their daughter Fatima al-Zahra Awarka. Some sources alleged that he was the main “target” of the alleged Israeli strike, and social media sources referred to him as “mujahed”.

While Hezbollah operates an active militant wing, their political presence is also deeply enmeshed within the state, providing social and organisational services, primarily in the Shia majority areas in Southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and the suburbs of Beirut. With this context in mind, it is possible that Ahmed’s work with the security committee was civil in nature. Still, as some sources referred to him as a “mujahed”, Airwars has recorded him as a militant. This will be updated should additional information become available.

Farhoud family

The family of Ayman Farhoud who was earlier displaced from Qanarit was among the victims of the strike. Ayman Farhoud and one of his daughters were injured while his wife and two other daughters were killed. On Facebook, Khalid Farhoud paid tribute to the Farhoud family, sharing photos of them and writing “martyrs of the Farhoud family, torches on the road to Palestine, my cousin’s wife and two daughters were martyred and the other was wounded.” He further explained that “they fled from Qanarit to search for a safe place, but their fate was to be martyred in the bombing of civilians by planes in Ain al-Dalb, east of Sidon.” He then prayed “may my cousin and you survive. May God heal you, Sidqi Ayman Farhoud and heal your daughter, may you be well and safe, and may God have mercy on your wife and daughters.” In one of the pictures Ayman is seen holding and kissing his infant daughter, in another one he is sitting at the dining table with another small daughter. The post also contained the picture of his wife in a grey hijab.

Individuals

The “massacre” in Ain al-Delb also claimed the lives of other individuals, in particular, a member of the Lebanese Popular Congress, a writer and an educator Hassan Bashroush (Abu Khader). Following his death, various mourners shared stories of his lengthy career as a writer, educator and political actor. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, “the General Coordinator of the “Lebanese Popular Conference”, Dr. Adnan Badr, mourned in a statement that the late Hassan Bashroush  was “a distinguished student of knowledge, seriousness, integrity and morals, and he persevered in his academic studies until seriousness, integrity and morals, and he persevered in his academic studies until he obtained a doctorate in Arabic literature. He entered the teaching profession, where he gave his students and generations with all sincerity knowledge…He also joined the ranks of the conference and the Union of Working People’s Forces in the prime of his youth.”

The General Secretary of the Union of Working People’s Forces, Kamal Chatila, honored Hassan as well. In a Facebook post, Chatila expressed that “the Lebanese Popular Congress mourned the struggling brother Dr. Hassan Bashroush.” He went on to explain that Abu Khader was one of the first to join the ranks of the Union of the Working People’s Forces in southern Lebanon in the early seventies..and he used to move from one region to another, responsible for educational meetings…before joining the media office…due to his proficiency in the Arabic language, Arabic literature, writing, linguistic revision, and writing many articles that enriched the Lebanese magazine “Al-Mawqif”…He added that nn a personal level, tDr. Hassan Bashroush  was a “believer in God, a pure patriot, an Arabist to the core.”

Describing the events that led up to Hassan’s death, Chatila wrote that Abu Khader left his town of Haboush to an area he thought was safe. The post also contained his picture where he appeared as a man in his 60s or 70s having a short grey hair and a grey mustache and wearing glassed. He was captured wearing a pink shirt and sitting outside near a tree.

A young woman Nasreen Wafiq Badran was also killed in the alleged Israeli strike after being initially reported as missing. Facebook user Mazen Badran Chef posted a charming photo of the woman, referring to her as “the bride of Deir Zahrani.”

Circumstances and aftermath of the strike

A video posted by Al Jazeera showed  a “Lebanese young man calling for help from under the rubble in Ain al-Delb.” While waiting for emergency crews to extract him, he stated that he was in the building opposite the al-Furqan mosque and that he’s unsure of the condition of his family.

The same day, Beirutiyya Facebook page shared a video of a residential building collapsing with the caption “in front of the camera, an entire building collapses. A raid on the Ain al-Delb area east of the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon on Sunday afternoon led to the destruction of an entire building and its leveling to the ground. It was said that it contained the home of one of the party’s officials in the area.” The video filmed from afar showed a large cloud of smoke rising above residential buildings, accompanied by the sirens of ambulances. An image also attached to the post showed the rubble left on the site of the demolished building.

A similar video posted to Facebook by Habib Kadoura shows the building collapsing and described it as being “full of civilians.” A video shared on Facebook by Palestine TV Channel also showed the moment when the apartment building collapsed like a house of cards, and eyewitnesses were screaming in horror watching this happening.

The Ya Beirut Facebook page showed rescuers using bulldozers and their own bare hands “to remove the rubble to try to rescue those trapped under the Ain al-Delb building in the Sidon area in southern Lebanon.”

A video shared by the Facebook account “Light of Truth” showed a reported crying over the civilian massacre in Ain Al-Delb. He was saying: “The limbs of Lebanese children are torn apart…”.

Facebook user Arid Arid posted a video that evening showing rescuers digging through the rubble at night. The narrator described the incident as “a new massacre committed by the [Israeli military] against civilians by bombing a residential building…Initial information: more than 35 martyrs were recovered, most of whom were displaced from villages and towns in the southern Lebanese regions that were subjected to continuous barbaric bombing by [Israeli] aircraft.”

A video shared by the “Saida, the good and the bad, brings us together” Facebook page showed  emergency workers transporting multiple bodies on stretchers and was accompanied by a post saying “the Ain el-Delb massacre in Sidon left a deep wound in everyone’s hearts…may God have mercy on the martyrs and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured ?? May the pain they experienced be a motivation towards achieving peace and unity ??.”

The day after the strike, Facebook user Amer Ramadan posted a video of a funeral of the victims  of the massacre in Sidon Ain al-Delb which showed s a procession of men carrying multiple coffins to a graveyard overlooking the sea. Lina Mayassi posted a photo in a similar setting showing people “preparing mass graves in Sidon for the martyrs of Ain al-Delb building.”

Social media sources also shared the striking images related to the incident and emphasizing the scale of the human loss and devastation left by the strike. In particular, Facebook user Jana Barakat shared an emotional image where two people – a woman and a man – are embracing each other while watching the huge pile of debris left on the place of what used to be their home. She accompanied the image with the following capture: “My home is here. Ain el-Delb, October 3. This is not our home, this is the house that was bombed in Ain el-Delb a few days ago, the mother and her son are searching for what is left.”

On September 30, the Emergency and Ambulance Unit/Lebanon Palestine Red Crescent Society provided an update on its rescue and recovery mission following the September 29 strike saying “[MP Dr. Abdel Rahman Bizri] inspected the hospitals in Sidon, including the Martyr Mahmoud al-Hamshari Hospital, which played a fundamental role in supporting the Lebanese health sector…For his part, Dr. Abu al-Ainain explained that ten wounded were received in the hospital, in addition to three martyrs after the raid on Ain al-Delb. He stated that the condition of the wounded is stable after undergoing the necessary surgeries…He pointed out that with the start of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, the crews of the Martyr Mahmoud al-Hamshari Hospital affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were mobilized, and the ambulance teams moved to all the Lebanese regions that were subjected to attacks, and brought some of the wounded and martyrs.”

On October 2, the Hara Volunteering Center posted an update about rescue efforts as well, stating that “following the raid launched by the Israeli enemy on the Ain al-Delb area – Saida neighborhood, the ambulance and rescue teams at the Saida neighborhood volunteer center moved to the raid site, which continued to work for three consecutive days and resulted in: Ambulance 249 moved from Ain al-Delb to Hammoud and transported 21 dead and 19 wounded, Ambulance 241 moved from Ain al-Delb to Saida Governmental and transported 12 dead and six wounded, Ambulance 1262 moved and transported 11 dead and eight wounded from Ain al-Delb to Hammoud, and Ambulance 1294 moved and transported two dead and four wounded from Ain al-Delb to Al-Rai Hospital.”

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.