BEIRUT — Israeli forces have intensified airstrikes across eastern and northeastern Lebanon, targeting multiple locations including the Bekaa Valley and the city of Baalbek, escalating regional tensions and triggering widespread displacement and civilian casualties.
Lebanon’s National News Agency identified at least seven raids in Bekaa and mountainous Baalbek regions, including towns such as Brital, Nasiriyah and Jarmak. The strikes, part of nearly daily violations of a ceasefire agreement brokered last November, reportedly struck suspected Hezbollah infrastructure as well as civilian areas.
Regional Governor Bachir Khodr reported that around 40 strikes across Baalbek‑Hermel have killed at least 38 people and wounded over 50 others in a single wave of bombing, marking some of the most intense operations since last year’s escalation.
Recent operations also targeted a civil defence centre in Douris, near Baalbek, where an airstrike killed 13 emergency responders and volunteers, prompting rescue operations amid dense rubble. Civilians fleeing or sheltering in evacuation sites have continued to suffer severe harm even outside the warned zones. Some survivors recounted that many targeted areas lay beyond evacuation warnings, while no prior alerts were issued in several cases.
The October 2024 campaign remains a grim benchmark: strikes across some 12 Bekaa villages left 134 dead and 117 injured, with many entire families wiped out and heritage buildings damaged around UNESCO-listed Baalbek. Cultural damage to the city’s Roman relics has been described as an irreversible loss for Lebanon and world heritage.
Human rights observers have condemned the repeated targeting of civilians and rescue workers, labeling some of the airstrikes as potential war crimes. At least 21 civil defence personnel have reportedly been killed in northeast Lebanon alone, exposing rescue teams to grave risk during operations.
In domestic politics, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has renewed demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The U.S. is pressing Beirut to formalise disarmament commitments before resuming negotiations, warning of intensified military action otherwise.
As of July 15, a separate strike killed 12 people near a displaced person’s camp in the Bekaa region, including both civilians and suspected Hezbollah fighters, reinforcing Israel’s stated intent to deter militant regrouping.
With thousands displaced, mounting casualties, and cultural heritage under threat, Lebanon faces escalating instability unless diplomatic efforts yield lasting respite.
Source: Al Jazeera
