On Friday, Israel unleashed several airstrikes against Lebanon, killing 30 civilians. 28 of the 30 casualties were farmworkers who were loading a truck with produce as they were blown apart by 3 Israeli bombs. Since the military offensive against Lebanon began 24 days ago, Israel has fired upon several types of civilian vehicles including convoys of medical supplies, fishing boats, and minivans full of fleeing civilians. Nearly 25 percent of Lebanon is currently displaced.

In Israel, Hezbollah rockets fell 50 miles south of the Lebanese border into the town of Hadera, striking deeper than ever before. Four people were reported dead in Israel from Friday’s rocket attacks. Due to a strong resistance from Hezbollah and criticism from Israelis that the war is taking too long, Israel is bringing in more artillery for the 10,000 troops already occupying Lebanon. The Israeli military still insists that civilian deaths are the result of Hezbollah’s human shield practice, and that any infrastructure destroyed was in use by terrorists.

Friday’s bombings were the first time since the war began that Israel has struck north of Lebanon’s capital. The strikes have cut off Lebanon’s last major road to the outside world. Far from Hezbollah territory, in a largely Christian area north of Beirut, four bridges were destroyed along a main highway. Before Friday’s bombing, this highway was the last practical route to bring relief into Lebanon. Many Maronite Catholic residents in the area expressed outrage towards Israel for the continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, unaffiliated with Hezbollah. It’s reported that 71 bridges in Lebanon have been destroyed. The destruction of Lebanese infrastructure is especially painful since most of it had just been rebuilt within the last decade after years of civil war.

Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food Program told The Associated Press, “This [road] has been the only way for us to bring in aid. We really need to find other ways to bring relief in.” Additionally, the Israeli naval blockade is preventing any ship, including two fuel tankers on Friday, from docking in Lebanon. Lebanon’s president accused Israel of “starving” his country by eliminating all forms of relief. Unless they are now afraid of getting in a food fight, it is unclear why Israel would cut off these supplies. When asked why they would destroy the last line of aid to civilians, Israel blamed Syria for using the road to supply weapons.

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