Ruptly
"Nine-year-old Karim Al-Haj Hussein stands as the sole survivor of his family following an alleged Israeli airstrike that levelled their Baalbek home - a stark reminder of the human cost as the Middle East conflict rages on. Footage from Wednesday shows Karim’s home in ruins, with scattered belongings and rubble. Other clips show him playing with peers at his uncle’s house in Beirut, and looking at photos of his parents on a phone. "When the explosion happened, I felt a severe ringing in my ears, and I could no longer breathe or see clearly. I saw a collapsed wall in front of me and felt intense heat. After getting out, I initially fell into a very deep hole, so I started moving the stones until I managed to get out with difficulty," Karim explained. He continued, "I heard a man shouting for help and tried to reach and assist him, but I couldn’t. Then I saw many people, and our neighbour was the first I met. I told him about that man, but I don’t know what happened after that. Later, the neighbours gave me water and helped me put on my shoes.” According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the strike on a residential building in the Ras al-Ain area left a final toll of four martyrs and seven wounded. On March 19, residents held a massive funeral for the victims: Mahdi Hassan Al-Haj Hussein, his wife Alya Al-Bouari, their son Ghadi, and a young neighbour, Gita Nabil Shams. The Israeli army did not comment on the alleged strike but confirmed it would continue military operations in southern Lebanon aimed at ‘destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure.’ Tensions across the Middle East have surged following joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran on February 28, during ongoing diplomatic talks aimed at “limiting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.” Tehran responded with strikes targeting Israel and US military sites, with explosions reported across several Gulf countries. The confrontations also drew in Hezbollah, which declared its intervention 'in vengeance' for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while shipping routes in the region, including the Strait of Hormuz, faced heightened risk."
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