Airstrikes in Lebanon: Panic and Casualties Amid Renewed Conflict

On Thursday, Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, marking one of its most aggressive bombing of the area since a 2024 ceasefire halted hostilities with Hezbollah. The attacks were concentrated in the isolated Nabatiyeh region, now close to 12 kilometers from the by now established Israeli border, according to Lebanese state media explosions caused mass panic in the area.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) called the attack a "massive aerial aggression," as warplanes struck multiple targets in two waves, focusing on hilltops and valleys, and emitting clouds of smoke. Residents fled from schools and homes as ambulances sped toward the area. An eyewitness described visible damage and disarray in the aftermath of the assaults.

The Health Ministry of Lebanon said there was at least one death and eight wounded, although the loss is unaccounted for. The NNA reported the strikes incited "terror and disorder", shattering the routines of living, as families rushed for their lives. Israel has not commented on individual casualties but has a track record of framing military operations like this, that include civilian casualties, as targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

The strikes come following months of intermittent hostilities after the 2024 ceasefire that paused a brutal war between Israel and Hezbollah. The ceasefire indeed curtailed the fighting, but small clashes at the borders have continued to happen, and air strikes have continued. Israel maintains that their actions are aimed at degrading Hezbollah's military capacity, while the Hezbollah accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty.