Lebanese Health Ministry Reports 28 Fatalities in Israeli Strikes on Mount Lebanon Villages

The Lebanese health ministry announced that at least 28 individuals died on Tuesday following Israeli air strikes targeting two residences in central Lebanon, reportedly housing displaced families. Twenty people, predominantly women and children, were killed in Joun, while eight others lost their lives near Baalchmay. Both localities are situated within the Mount Lebanon region, outside areas where the armed group Hezbollah maintains a significant presence. The Israeli military stated it conducted strikes on Hezbollah “terror facilities.” Earlier, it reported hitting multiple Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Concurrently, two individuals were killed by Hezbollah rocket fire in Nahariya, a town in northern Israel. This occurred one day after Israel’s defence minister declared that a ceasefire with Hezbollah would not be considered until its war objectives were achieved. The Israeli military initiated an offensive against Hezbollah, which it designates as a terrorist organisation, following nearly a year of cross-border hostilities that began with the conflict in Gaza. Israel asserts its intention to ensure the secure return of tens of thousands of residents from northern Israeli border areas, who were displaced by rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah in support of Palestinians, the day after its ally Hamas’s lethal assault on Israel on 7 October 2023. According to the Lebanese health ministry, over 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon since that time, with 2,600 of these deaths occurring in the seven weeks since Israel commenced