At least 60 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Among the casualties are two children, as strikes targeted 16 locations in the Baalbek region. The ministry reported that 58 others were injured, with rescue operations still ongoing in this Hezbollah stronghold.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on the situation. Over the past five weeks, Israel has conducted thousands of airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting what it claims are Hezbollah operatives, infrastructure, and weaponry.
Baalbek governor Bachie Khodr described the attacks as the “most violent” since Israel escalated its conflict with Hezbollah last month. Unverified social media footage has shown extensive damage to buildings and raging fires in the area, as rescue teams search for victims.
In the town of Boudai, videos on social media depict residents calling for heavy machinery to aid in rescuing individuals believed to be trapped. Bilal Raad, head of Baalbek’s Civil Defence crews, likened the airstrikes to a “ring of fire,” noting that they were aimed at residential areas. He also stated that a lack of equipment has hindered search and rescue efforts.
The hardest-hit area was Al-Allaq, where 16 individuals from the same family were reported killed. Earlier on Monday, Israeli strikes on the coastal city of Tyre resulted in seven fatalities and 17 injuries, prompting warnings for civilians to evacuate the city center.
Hezbollah reported engaging in clashes with Israeli troops near Lebanon’s southern border on Monday and launched rockets at an Israeli naval base near Haifa. The cross-border conflict began after Hezbollah fired rockets in support of Palestinians on October 8, 2023, following a deadly attack by Hamas on southern Israel.
The Lebanese health ministry states that more than 2,700 people have died and over 12,400 have been injured in Lebanon since the outbreak of hostilities. Since Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon on September 30, aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s capabilities, Lebanon’s government has reported that up to 1.3 million people have been internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict.