Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley have injured more than 20 people, including children, as tensions continue to rise following the killing of a top Hezbollah commander. The strikes occurred over 24 hours after similar raids and have intensified the already volatile situation.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the strikes killed one person and injured 20 others, including eight children and a pregnant woman. One of the injured is in critical condition. A Hezbollah source confirmed that the strikes hit areas near Baalbek, including the village of Nabi Sheet, though the specific targets were not disclosed.
A local hospital revealed that five children, all under the age of 10 and from the same family, were among those injured. The strikes around midnight followed Monday’s attacks in the Bekaa region, where Israel targeted what it claimed were Hezbollah weapons storage facilities.
Hezbollah also reported that four of its fighters were killed, adding to the casualties from Israeli strikes on Tuesday in the southern border village of Dhayra, where four civilians died. Since the Gaza war began in October, Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian group Hamas, has engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces.
The conflict has mainly concentrated along the Lebanon-Israel border, but Israel has repeatedly struck the eastern Bekaa Valley, an area where Hezbollah has a strong presence near the Syrian border. On Tuesday, Hezbollah retaliated with rocket barrages and explosive-laden drones aimed at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
The Israeli military reported that around 115 projectiles were launched from Lebanon, along with several suspicious aerial targets, some of which were intercepted by air defenses. The projectiles sparked fires in some areas, but no injuries were reported. In response, Israeli air forces targeted Hezbollah military structures and projectile launchers in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry condemned the Israeli military for targeting health workers in southern Lebanon. Three emergency personnel from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were injured, and their ambulance sustained significant damage. The ministry strongly criticized the repeated attacks on health workers, who have faced increasing dangers throughout the conflict, with at least 21 rescue workers killed since October.
Fears of a major escalation are mounting as Hezbollah and Iran vow to retaliate for recent killings attributed to Israel. These include the strike that killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and the attack in Tehran that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
As cross-border violence escalates, the death toll continues to climb. An AFP tally reports that approximately 590 people have been killed in Lebanon, including Hezbollah fighters and at least 128 civilians. On the Israeli side, 23 soldiers and 26 civilians, including those in the annexed Golan Heights, have died in the ongoing conflict.
