Families mourned their loved ones and called on the international community to condemn and stop this injustice after an Israeli airstrike hit the town of Shaat in eastern Lebanon last week, killing eight people and wounding three others.
Destruction bears witness to the violence of the bombing. At the targeted site, residents searched through the rubble to recover the victims. Relatives of the victims described scenes of collapsed homes and bodies being pulled from the ruins in the hours following the strike.
In Shaat, residents are now trying to recover amid concern. Amid destroyed homes and grieving families, the town still bears the scars of the bombardment. Calls to protect civilians are growing, as the population fears a new escalation in this region already marked by tensions.
Israeli attacks have killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than a million across Lebanon since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.
Lebanon's eastern town of Shaat in shock after deadly Israeli airstrike
China's Winter Paralympic delegation has been hailed for their successful showing at the recent 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games, with a special summary meeting paying tribute to their table-topping achievements.
The meeting in Beijing on Wednesday looked back on the exceptional performance of the delegation, which secured 15 golds, 13 silvers and 16 bronzes at the Games in Italy, with the overall medal tally of 44 marking the country's best-ever performance at an overseas Winter Paralympics.
Cheng Kai, who was the head of the delegation and also serves as president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, delivered a speech to honor the para athletes.
The event also saw speeches from coaches' representatives Ru Xia and double gold-medal winning Para Biathlon and Para Cross-country Skier Cai Jiayun, who shared his remarkable experience at the Games.
After the meeting, athletes expressed their ambitions for the next Paralympics in France in four years' time.
"Today's meeting was very important and inspiring for me. Looking at the future, I will continue to fight for the next Winter Paralympics in the French Alps, live up to my country's expectations on us, and win more glory," said Cai.
"I will keep working hard in the future, and stay grounded in all my training. And I will pass on this Paralympic spirit and Winter Olympic spirit," said Wang Meng, who captured China's first-ever gold medal in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles.
The Chinese delegation consisted of 167 members, including 70 para athletes who are all amateurs, aged between 18 and 40, who competed in 71 events across six sporting disciplines.
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics were held from March 6 to 15.
China's Winter Paralympic team hailed after topping medal table
