Death toll from Israeli strike on southern Lebanese town rises to 16

Sixteen people, including the mayor of the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh, were killed on Wednesday when Israeli strikes hit the municipal building there, the official news agency reported on Wednesday.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, 52 other people were wounded.

Ealier in the day, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Mayor Ahmed Kahil was killed along with several members of the municipal council while they were holding a meeting.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the strikes on Nabatiyeh, saying that "the world is deliberately silent on the crimes of the occupation," which he charged encourages Israel to continue what he called its "aggression and crimes."

"If all the world's countries are incapable of deterring a blatant aggression against the Lebanese people, is it useful to resort to the [United Nations] Security Council to demand a ceasefire?" Miktai said.

In total, 2,367 people have been killed and 11,088 others injured in Lebanon since the fighting broke out between the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia and the Israeli military just over a year ago.

The Ministry of Health does not differentiate between Hezbollah members and civilians in its list.