### Israeli Air Strike Targets Lebanese Emergency Response Centres, Killing Rescue Workers

In a tragic escalation of violence, an Israeli air strike on Thursday targeted an emergency response centre in north-eastern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 rescue workers, officials have confirmed. The strike, which occurred in Douris near Baalbek, destroyed a facility belonging to the Lebanese civil defence agency, a government-linked entity not associated with Hezbollah. Regional Governor Bachir Khodr reported that among the victims was Bilal Raad, the civil defence chief for the city.

The Israeli military has yet to issue a statement regarding the attack, which the Lebanese health ministry has condemned as "barbaric." Lebanese civil defence agencies are responsible for crucial emergency services, including search and rescue operations and fire-fighting.

Tragically, this was not an isolated incident. In another air strike on the same day in the southern Nabatieh region, the civil defence centre in Arab Salim was also destroyed, killing six people, including five paramedics, as reported by the Lebanese state news agency NNA. These attacks bring the total number of emergency and health workers killed in Israeli air strikes to at least 192 since the conflict with Hezbollah intensified in September, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The latest strikes come as part of a broader intensification of Israel's air campaign across Lebanon, including on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known Hezbollah stronghold. Despite evacuation orders from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), air strikes have hit the area for four consecutive days as of Friday.

International efforts are currently underway to broker a ceasefire. American officials have presented Lebanese authorities with a proposal aimed at halting hostilities. The Lebanese government insists that any agreement must adhere to United Nations Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and mandates the removal of Hezbollah fighters and weapons from the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from Israel’s border.

A potential ceasefire deal is expected to involve the deployment of more Lebanese army troops to the region and a mechanism for monitoring adherence. However, Israel is pressing for the right to conduct operations inside Lebanon if the agreement is breached. This demand is currently facing resistance from both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.

While Hezbollah's infrastructure and leadership have suffered significant losses due to the relentless air strikes over the past two months, analysts suggest that the group has managed to regroup and continues to launch daily attacks on northern Israel, albeit with reduced intensity.

During a visit from Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated that the Lebanese government's primary objective is to secure a ceasefire and fully implement Resolution 1701 without alterations. He affirmed that negotiations are ongoing to find a mutual understanding.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian cost of the conflict continues to rise. Strikes have destroyed residential buildings housing displaced families, and in the mixed region of Aramoun, residents are alarmed after an air strike on Wednesday claimed eight lives.