Lebanon Reports 60 Fatalities in Israeli Strikes on Eastern Valley

The Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli attacks in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley resulted in the deaths of at least 60 individuals. Officials confirmed that two children were among those fatalities in strikes that hit 16 locations within the Baalbek region. The ministry also stated that 58 people sustained injuries, noting that rescue operations were continuing in the valley, a known Hezbollah stronghold. The Israeli military has not issued a statement regarding these events. Over the past five weeks, Israel has conducted thousands of air strikes across Lebanon, asserting that these operations target Hezbollah’s operatives, infrastructure, and weaponry. Governor Bachie Khodr described these recent attacks as the “most violent” in the area since Israel intensified its conflict against Hezbollah last month. Unverified videos shared on social media depicted damaged structures and burning forests, while rescue personnel sought out the wounded. In Boudai, social media footage seemingly showed residents appealing for heavy machinery to assist in rescuing individuals believed to be trapped. Bilal Raad, the regional head of Baalbek’s Civil Defence crews, informed the BBC that the air strikes resembled a “ring of fire.” He stated, “It was a very violent night,” adding, “It was like a ring of fire has suddenly surrounded the area.” Raad further indicated that the assaults had targeted “residential quarters where civilians live or near them” and that insufficient equipment had impeded search and rescue operations. He specified that the town of Al-Allaq suffered the most severe impact, with 16 fatalities, all members of the same family. Baalbek hosts the ancient Roman ruins of Heliopolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where thousands of pilgrims once worshipped three deities during Roman times. A UNESCO spokesperson confirmed that satellite image analysis had not identified any damage within the boundaries of the designated Baalbek site. They also stated that they are “closely following the impact of the ongoing crisis in Lebanon on the cultural heritage sites.” Earlier on Monday, the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli air strikes on the coastal city of Tyre resulted in seven deaths and 17 injuries. Israel had issued an advisory for residents to evacuate the city’s central area. Hezbollah announced it engaged in clashes with Israeli forces near Lebanon’s southern border on Monday and launched rockets towards a naval base within Israel, close to Haifa. The cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah commenced on 8 October 2023, when the armed Lebanese group began firing rockets in and around northern Israel to support Palestinians, following its ally Hamas’s lethal assault on southern Israel. Since that time, the Lebanese health ministry indicates that over 2,700 individuals have been killed and more than 12,400 wounded in Lebanon. On 30 September, Israel initiated an invasion of southern Lebanon, described as a dramatic escalation, with the stated objective of destroying Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure through “limited, localised, targeted raids.” The Lebanese government reports that the conflict has led to the internal displacement of up to 1.3 million people.