Israel's Attacks in Eastern Lebanon Take at Least 40 Lives, Reports Health Ministry

The most devastating attacks took place in the Bekaa Valley, known for the ancient city of Baalbek.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported late Wednesday that no fewer than 40 individuals lost their lives due to Israeli air assaults in the east of Lebanon and its environs, while areas south of the Lebanese capital also experienced bombardments.

According to the ministry, the fatality count in Baalbek, renowned for its Roman antiquities, and the greater Bekaa Valley is an early estimate. Over the past week, Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah, extending beyond the initial engagements at border regions in the south.

Before the hostilities, Baalbek was inhabited by roughly 80,000 residents. During the early stages of the military campaign aimed at disabling Hezbollah, the city avoided significant damage, but late October hostilities forced a large exodus of its inhabitants.

Israel has since directed military operations against Baalbek. On Thursday morning, its forces reported targeting approximately 20 Hezbollah-related sites around Baalbek and areas north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces also claimed to have attacked Hezbollah command sites and essential terrorist facilities near Beirut overnight. Witnesses in Lebanon noted hearing at least four substantial airstrikes near the capital, with smoke plumes observed over Dahiya, an area dominated by Hezbollah south of Beirut.

One explosion occurred close enough to the international airport in Beirut that it reportedly impacted a runway with debris, as per local media. Despite this, Lebanon's transport minister, Ali Hamieh, confirmed on Thursday that airport operations were unaffected.

Since the increased military campaign against Hezbollah beginning last October, the conflict in Lebanon has claimed over 3,000 lives, with over 1.2 million people—a fifth of the nation's population—displaced, as per Lebanese governmental figures.