At least 40 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The strikes, which targeted Hezbollah operatives in the Baalbek and Bekaa governorates, are part of ongoing Israeli military operations.
Israeli officials confirmed that the airstrikes targeted positions of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, known for its presence in Lebanon. However, the strikes have also caused significant damage to heritage sites, with one attack severely damaging an Ottoman-era building near the Roman ruins of Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In southern Beirut, Israeli airstrikes continued, hitting Hezbollah command centers and infrastructure, after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation warnings to residents. As the IDF targeted Hezbollah facilities, a massive fireball erupted over the city, with thick black smoke billowing into the night sky.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a rocket from Lebanon, which tragically killed an Israeli man near a kibbutz in northern Israel. Meanwhile, Lebanese Civil Defence teams reported that 30 bodies were recovered from a four-story apartment building in Barja, a coastal town south of Beirut. The building, which had been housing displaced people, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening, resulting in a devastating fire and structural collapse.
One survivor from the building, Moussa Zahran, shared his harrowing experience, recounting how he managed to rescue his son and wife, who were trapped under the rubble. “These rocks that you see here weigh 100kg, they fell on a 13kg kid,” Zahran told reporters. “I removed [the rocks] and handed my son to the civil defense through the window.”
The attack on Barja, which had no prior evacuation warning, initially resulted in a reported 20 deaths. The death toll later rose as the Lebanese health ministry updated the figure to 40, with 53 others reported injured.
Lebanese officials also reported that the destruction of an ancient building in Baalbek, part of the Manshiya area, was another blow to Lebanon’s cultural heritage. Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada condemned the strike, calling the damage “an irremediable loss” to both Lebanon and world heritage.
The nearby Palmyra Hotel, a historic site in Baalbek, was also damaged in the strikes, with two fatalities confirmed. The Israeli military responded by claiming that their airstrikes were carried out based on precise intelligence, targeting Hezbollah operatives in the region. Israel further stated that it had eliminated a key Hezbollah commander in the southern border region of Khiam and killed several other militants in recent operations.
On the ground in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s new secretary general, Naim Qassem, vowed that the group had a large and ready force to continue the fight. “Our conviction is that only one thing can stop this war of aggression, and that is the battlefield,” Qassem stated, reiterating Hezbollah’s resolve.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a barrage of about 170 rockets into northern and central Israel. One of these rockets killed an Israeli man near the kibbutz of Kfar Masaryk, south of Acre. The victim, identified as 18-year-old Sivan Sade, had been working in a field when the rocket struck.
As tensions escalate between Israel and Hezbollah, the conflict continues to claim lives and cause significant destruction, with no immediate end in sight.
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