Israeli Strikes Extend into Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Causing Widespread Devastation

Samir El Chekieh, a 32-year-old firefighter and paramedic with the Lebanese Civil Defense Force (CDF), navigates an ambulance with sirens blaring towards the site of a recent Israeli air strike in El Karak, located in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Having slept only a few hours the previous night, he finds himself in the middle of the afternoon without having eaten breakfast. The ongoing escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Shia Muslim Hezbollah means that CDF personnel experience minimal rest and prepare daily for potential mass casualty events. This report includes graphic descriptions. Samir notes a significant difference compared to the 2006 conflict with Israel. He states, “We didn’t have those kind of air strikes. Recently, a fire station was hit, and a church in the south, and our humanitarian colleagues have been killed.” According to CDF workers, civilians, encompassing women and children, constitute a growing proportion of fatalities and injuries encountered during their emergency responses. The conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah is extending its reach further into Lebanon. A vigorous bombing campaign has expanded considerably beyond Lebanon’s southern border communities and the capital, Beirut, now reaching towns in the fertile Bekaa region and the historic city of Baalbek, which are predominantly Shia areas and the founding place of Hezbollah. The port cities of Sidon and Tyre have also experienced a rise in attacks. Israel asserts that its operations exclusively target Hezbollah fighters, weaponry, and infrastructure. Since the intensification of its campaign against the militant organization, Israel estimates that it has eliminated two-thirds of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile inventory. Nevertheless, Hezbollah continues to launch rockets daily towards Israel. The BBC spent a fortnight embedded with Civil Defense Force teams in the Bekaa Valley, an area that extends eastward to the Syrian border. Access to the sites of Israeli attacks necessitated authorization from Hezbollah. During that period, the volume and regularity of strikes in the region escalated significantly. On 28 October, over 100 Israeli strikes occurred, and in the preceding week alone, 160 individuals were killed in the Bekaa, based on official data. The Lebanese government’s statistics do not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants. Upon reaching the Shia village of El Karak, Samir and his team encountered a scene of disarray and devastation, with the atmosphere heavy with smoke and dust. Earlier, at their station in the adjacent city of Zahle, they had perceived a strong explosion and observed a distant smoke plume from their balcony. They promptly entered their fire trucks and ambulances and proceeded directly to the location. A woman wearing a chador was observed on the pavement, pleading for entry into the smoldering remains of an apartment building, but men persuaded her to remain at a distance. The situation was deemed too hazardous, with the potential for a subsequent Israeli air strike. The initial casualty discovered was a man, propelled across the ground by the force of the explosion. Survivors were located beneath the collapsed floors of the apartments, prompting Samir to delve deep into the debris. Without plastic protective gloves due to the ongoing fire within, he felt shattered bones under his fingertips upon finding a child. As he meticulously extracted the child, he recognized it was only a partial body. He later recounted, “The first victim I found was a child. I don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy. Sorry to explain that. But it’s from the stomach and up – from stomach and down there is nothing.” Previously, CDF teams had received phone calls instructing them to vacate sites they were working at, which they presumed originated from the Israelis. No such communication was received on this occasion, leading Samir and others to continue digging into the wreckage for an hour. Ultimately, they discovered a 10-year-old girl alive, who informed the rescuers that her eight-month-old brother, Mohammed, had been beside her. Samir stated, “After that, we started hearing the screaming of a small child.” Through a narrow opening in the debris, they observed the trapped boy attempting to move his legs, with his babygrow and a solitary blue sock visible to the rescue team. They meticulously cleared the surrounding debris, and he was then carefully held in Samir’s arms and transported to safety. Mohammed is currently receiving treatment in Iraq for the head injury he sustained, according to his family. The CDF operates across Lebanon’s sectarian divisions. Samir, who is Christian and serves as the head of operations at the Zahle station—a predominantly Christian town featuring a 54m statue of the Virgin Mary atop a hilltop—affirms that the organization does not discriminate. Samir declared, “We don’t ask the sex of the victim. We don’t ask if he’s black, white. We don’t ask if he’s Christian or Muslim. We are humanitarians.” The UN estimates indicate that throughout October, a minimum of one child was killed and ten were injured daily in Israeli attacks. These casualties, alongside the deaths of their colleagues in strikes, are impacting Samir and his team. Approximately 24 hours after their departure from the El Karak site, a subsequent Israeli attack caused the remainder of the apartment building to collapse. During the early evenings, Hezbollah continues to launch rockets from adjacent hillsides, aimed at Israel. A single volley of at least six projectiles ignited a brush fire close to Zahle. In the town of Khodor, the Hezbollah flag is positioned on the remnants of one of numerous structures leveled by Israeli bombs. Children’s toys are placed at its foundation. A sizable red Shia flag flutters nearby, constituting almost the sole audible element in the predominantly deserted town. Jawad Hamzeh, with a bandaged head, guided me through the debris of his residence. His three daughters, including 24-year-old Nada who was pregnant, perished in the assault. He displayed another daughter’s law books, noting she was pursuing a legal career. He asserted that no militants were present, asking, “Where are the missiles, do you see them?” Hezbollah, supported by Iran, initiated attacks against Israel on 8 October 2023, in solidarity with its ally Hamas, which had conducted a destructive assault on Israel the preceding day. This was followed by months of cross-border skirmishes, and then, in late September of the current year, Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nassrallah, subsequently launching a ground invasion. Hezbollah is dedicated to the eradication of Israel, yet it functions as more than just a militant organization. It represents Lebanon’s most influential political power and a social movement that acts as a safeguard for the country’s historically marginalized Shia communities against other religious groups. The year-long conflict has displaced tens of thousands of Israelis. Israel’s strategy of attacking Hezbollah on various fronts aims to weaken the group and facilitate the return of its populace. Despite ceasefire negotiations led by the US, neither party seems inclined to yield. On 30 October, the Israeli military issued an evacuation directive for the Bekaa city of Baalbek, an event the UN characterized as the “largest forced movement Lebanon has experienced in a single day” since the conflict began. Up to 150,000 individuals were granted only a few hours to escape an impending Israeli attack. In that location, near the impressive Roman ruins featuring the towering temple of Bacchus, I encountered Hussein Nassereldine, 42, whose residence had been demolished in an Israeli strike the previous night. He stated, “No terrorist or bad person lived here. All who lived here were decent people.” He added that it had been home to families, including his own, who had escaped Beirut in 1982 during Lebanon’s civil war. He affirmed, “We were born here and lived here, and we will stay and won’t leave here.” As I departed, men equipped with pickaxes and shovels were slowly clearing the debris, while Hussein made preparations to set up a tent on the remains of his dwelling. Beyond the city limits, at Dar Al Amal hospital, those injured are recuperating from Baalbek’s most fatal day. The local governor reported that of the 63 individuals killed, two-thirds were women and children. Israel stated it targeted 110 sites linked to Hezbollah. In a stark room, permeated solely by screams, three-year-old Selin’s small hand extended seeking solace, but no one was present. She sustained burns to her face, a fractured leg, and injuries to her groin and side. Her mother, father, two sisters, and brother all died in the Israeli air strike, leaving her injured and isolated. In the intensive care unit corridor, two-year-old Kayan Smeha is being treated for a fractured skull. His mother, Najat, 24, softly kissed his cheek and held him to soothe him. She informed me, “He is still panicking. And he is probably re-running the scene as I am doing. I can handle it, but he is small, he can’t.” Tears streamed down her face, yet she maintained a defiant demeanor. Najat stated, “I’m crying because I am afraid for my baby. But if they think they can break us they are mistaken. If I had to, I will sacrifice my son and my husband, my father, my mother, my sister.” “Death of loved ones is hard but not harder than getting humiliated. And we will hold on to our faith and to our traditions till death.” At the modest CDF station in Ferzoul village, nestled among orchards and vineyards, the sun rose following a chilly night. The seasonal temperatures are decreasing in this area, and the majority of Lebanon’s shelters for displaced individuals are at capacity. Samir arrived, and I inquired about his method for coping with his experiences. He responded, “Some of the pictures are stuck in our head,” further noting that these images would persist. He relies significantly on his faith. He explained, “When you manage to keep one [person] alive, that will give you the strength to keep going. And this is a power that’s given from God and we’re going to still do our job. Even if we were directly targeted, we say here in Lebanon, God will keep us safe and we have faith in God and he will keep us safe.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.