Lebanon has reported a significant escalation in violence, with Israeli airstrikes on Thursday resulting in the deaths of 52 individuals, amidst ongoing military operations in the region. The air raids targeted various locations, including the Baalbek district in the east and areas in southern Lebanon, contributing to an already tense situation that has seen over 11 months of intermittent cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah. This escalation follows the outbreak of all-out war, sparked in September amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The Lebanese health ministry stated that the strikes on the Baalbek region resulted in 40 fatalities and left 52 others injured. Specific reports detailed that a family of six, including a couple and their four children, lost their lives in a strike on a home in the village of Maqneh. Furthermore, another attack in nearby Nabha claimed the lives of a couple and their young daughter, among a total of 11 casualties from that location alone.
Additional casualties were reported in the Nabatiyeh district of southern Lebanon, where the ministry documented seven deaths and 24 injuries. Strikes in other southern regions accounted for five more fatalities and 26 additional injuries. Meanwhile, within Israeli territory, one individual was killed due to rocket fire from Lebanon, which landed in the Galilee region.
In the southern suburbs of Beirut, the National News Agency noted at least a dozen strikes throughout the day, following a period of relative calm that coincided with the visit of U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein earlier in the week, who was attempting to mediate an end to the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. In response, Israeli Army spokesman Avichay Adraee issued several evacuation warnings for Beirut’s southern suburbs and the coastal city of Tyre, though no warnings were issued for the eastern region of Lebanon.
The devastation in Lebanon was visually captured by AFPTV footage, showing thick plumes of smoke rising from once-bustling residential areas that are now largely deserted. Adraee indicated on social media that the Israeli military was targeting Hezbollah’s military capabilities, including a weapons depot and a command center located in southern Beirut.
In retaliation, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a missile strike on the Hatzor air base near Ashdod, marking a significant deepening in their counter-offensive operations, which they stated included artillery and drone attacks on Israeli troops near the town of Khiam. Reports from both the National News Agency and Hezbollah indicated fierce fighting and airstrikes in the Khiam area, which has been a focal point of conflict since Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon in late September.
Additionally, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, visited the UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Baalbek on Thursday, following the organization’s decision to grant 30 heritage sites in Lebanon “provisional enhanced protection” amidst the ongoing war.
The health ministry highlighted the severe toll of the violence, reporting at least 3,583 deaths since October 2023, with most fatalities occurring after the escalation of ground operations in September. The Israeli military also confirmed that three soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of Israeli fatalities to 52 since the initiation of ground operations in the area.
