"Israel” shows cowardice by targeting Lebanese families in their homes & civilian infrastructure to avenge its military

Source: AFP, 13-7-2006
TYRE & BEIRUT -- Twenty-seven Lebanese civilians, including 10 children, were killed and 20 others wounded in "Israeli" air strikes on southern Lebanon early Thursday, while further north "Israeli" warplanes bombed Beirut`s international airport in a series of raids on Lebanon in retaliation for the killing and capture of its soldiers by the Hizbullah militia.
A Muslim sheikh, his wife and eight children were killed when an "Israeli" missile struck their home in the village of Dweir, near the main central town of Nabatiyeh, they said. At dawn, relief workers were attempting to recover the remains of the children scattered in the family olive grove.
Another family of seven, including a 10-month-old baby, was killed in the village of Baflay, near the coastal city of Tyre, police said.
Air strikes also killed two civilians in Baraashit, five in Shour and three in Srifa - three villages near Tyre - police said. A total of 20 other civilians were wounded, hospitals said.
The air attack on Beirut`s international airport`s runways closed the airport to air traffic, but caused no casualties.
Witnesses said there were raids on two runways, leaving four craters on the tarmac, while Lebanese anti-aircraft batteries frantically fired at the invading planes.
"Missiles fell, one on runway 21 and the other on the eastern runway," an airport official said. "Two airplanes, which were due to land this morning, were told to divert their flights to the airport of Larnaca [on the neighboring island of Cyprus]," he said.
"Israeli" warplanes zoomed twice over the airport, recently named after former premier Rafiq Hariri who was assassinated in February 2005, before launching the missiles, at least one of which first caused thick dark smoke.
The deaths on Thursday brings the total civilian toll to 31 killed and 56 wounded since "Israel" began a land, sea, and air assault on Lebanon following the Wednesday morning capture of two "Israeli" soldiers by Lebanon occupation-resistance group, Hizbullah.