A tragic Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon on Sunday left five people dead, including four U.S. citizens — a father and his three young children. According to Lebanese officials, the strike targeted the town of Bint Jbeil, near the Israeli border.

Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, saying it was aimed at a Hezbollah operator. However, the military admitted that several civilians were killed, calling the incident “regrettable” and saying it was under investigation. Reports from Lebanon’s state news agency indicated that a drone fired two missiles at both a car and a motorcycle, killing the family inside the car along with the motorcyclist.

Lebanese authorities condemned the attack, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam calling it a “massacre” against innocent civilians. He urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for what he described as repeated violations of international law and the ceasefire agreement. Foreign Minister Youssef Raji confirmed that the children’s mother, also a U.S. citizen, was critically injured in the strike.

The United Nations and humanitarian agencies also reacted strongly. UNICEF expressed outrage, stressing that “attacks on children are unconscionable” and called for an immediate end to hostilities to protect civilian lives. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, speaking from New York at the UN General Assembly, urged world leaders to act, saying: “There can be no peace over the blood of our children.”