TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on the southern port city of Tire killed at least seven people, including five brothers, three of whom were deaf and mute, officials and a resident said Saturday.

The increase in the death toll in Tire occurred during attacks by the Israeli air force Air strikes on different parts of southern and eastern Lebanon Saturday hours after Beirut’s southern suburbs were hit by jets, destroying several buildings, state media reported.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel and shot down a drone over southern Lebanon. The group said the Israeli air force struck the area where the drone crashed. There is no confirmation from the Israeli army yet.

The Ministry of Health said that 46 people were injured in the attacks on Tire late Friday night. He added that remains were also found in the rubble and DNA tests would be used to identify the victims.

Tire resident Youssef Jundi told The Associated Press that airstrikes destroyed many buildings in the coastal city.

He said his longtime neighbor and friend, Ghazwa Dabouk, was among the dead. Dabouk’s autistic brother Ali, along with his deaf and mute sisters Elissar, Rabab and Fidaa, were also killed in the airstrike.

The Israeli military said it attacked the Tire offices of Hezbollah’s intelligence agency as well as the group’s command and control center in the city.

More than 3 thousand people were killed In Lebanon for 13 months of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel a day after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking the war in Gaza. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies with Iran.

For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly confined to areas bordering Israel and Lebanon. The conflict escalated dramatically on 23 September with intense Israeli air strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut; Hundreds of people died and approximately 1.2 million people were displaced.

Israel launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon on 1 October, causing widespread destruction in border villages but making little progress in Lebanon’s interior. Israel says it has destroyed Hezbollah weapons and command centers near the border, including a vast tunnel system Hezbollah built.

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Mroue reported from Beirut.

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