ISTANBUL, Sept 6 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday condemned renewed Israeli attacks on the southern city of Nabatieh and surrounding towns, saying the targeting of state institutions and health facilities marked a “dangerous escalation”.
In a statement posted by the Lebanese presidency on X, Aoun said the attacks caused civilian casualties, severely damaged a Finance Ministry building and destroyed Ghandour Hospital, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
He said the attacks went beyond repeated violations of the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement and the framework agreement by attacking Lebanese state institutions, public service facilities, a hospital and health centres.
Aoun said the attack on the Finance Ministry building, following an earlier strike on a State Security centre that caused fatalities, demonstrated “a continuing pattern” of attacks extending beyond alleged military targets to civilian government and health facilities.
He accused Israel of seeking to disrupt the functioning of Lebanese institutions and services provided to the public.
The Lebanese president held Israel fully responsible for the continuing escalation and called on the US and the international community to act urgently to halt the attacks and hold those responsible accountable.
He said Lebanon remained committed to measures aimed at preserving its sovereignty, stability in the south and the safety of its citizens.
The remarks came after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Nabatieh and surrounding areas on Sunday killed four people and injured 20 others, according to a preliminary toll from the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The ministry said the strikes destroyed Ghandour Hospital in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. It said 17 hospitals across Lebanon have been damaged by Israeli strikes since March 2, while three hospitals in southern Lebanon have been put out of service.
The attacks came despite a US-sponsored framework agreement signed on June 26, which provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 4,358 people and injured 12,359 others, while displacing more than 1 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU