The United Nations has urged an independent and transparent investigation following an Israeli strike on the Ein El Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon that killed at least 13 civilians. According to Lebanese health officials and UN agencies operating in the area, 11 of the victims were children, making it one of the deadliest incidents involving minors since the latest escalation between Israel and armed groups along the border.

Preliminary assessments indicate the strike hit a residential block inside the camp, which hosts tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and Lebanese residents. Local rescue teams reported scenes of extensive destruction, with families trapped beneath collapsed structures and emergency workers struggling to reach parts of the impacted zone due to ongoing security risks.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called the deaths “unacceptable” and stressed that all parties involved in the conflict must adhere to international humanitarian law. The agency emphasised that civilian areas, especially densely populated refugee settlements, cannot legally be treated as military targets without verified evidence of imminent threat.

Israel has not released a detailed public statement about the strike but maintains that its operations in Lebanon target militant infrastructure linked to groups launching rockets into northern Israel. Lebanese authorities have rejected that rationale, insisting that the Ein El Hilweh incident involved no active combatants and constituted a direct hit on a civilian neighbourhood.

The strike adds to rising fears of regional spillover as border clashes intensify, with the UN warning that continued escalation risks dragging Lebanon deeper into an already fragile security situation. Humanitarian groups operating in the south say displacement is accelerating, medical facilities are strained, and conditions inside refugee camps have deteriorated sharply.

International pressure is now mounting for accountability, with diplomats urging Israel and Lebanon to cooperate with investigators. For families in Ein El Hilweh, however, the focus remains on recovering bodies, tending to the injured, and navigating yet another tragedy in a conflict that shows no sign of slowing.

More updates as the situation develops.