In one of the most severe escalations since the November 2024 ceasefire, Israeli warplanes launched a series of devastating airstrikes on Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more in what Lebanese officials condemn as a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law. The strikes targeted residential areas in the Baalbek region, hitting multiple locations including the towns of Bednayel and the area between Riyak and Ali al-Nahri, where an AFP correspondent witnessed a bulldozer clearing debris from a heavily damaged building. Lebanon's health ministry reported that three children were among the wounded in the Bekaa attacks, underscoring the civilian toll of Israel's continued aggression.
Hezbollah Fighters Fall
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, confirmed that eight of its fighters were killed in the strikes, including commander Hussein Mohammad Yaghi, whom the movement mourned as having fallen "a martyr in defense of Lebanon and its people". Additional security sources identified two other commanders among the dead: Ali Zeid al-Moussawi and Mohammad Ibrahim al-Moussawi, bringing the total of senior field commanders lost in this single attack to three. The Israeli military claimed it targeted "Hezbollah command centres" and "several terrorists of Hezbollah's missile array" in the Baalbek area, alleging the sites were being used to "accelerate the organization's readiness and force build-up processes". Hezbollah lawmaker Rami Abu Hamdan responded by calling on Beirut to suspend meetings of the multinational ceasefire committee, declaring that the resistance "will not accept the authorities acting as mere political analysts, dismissing these as Israeli strikes we have grown accustomed to".
Ceasefire Violations
The Bekaa strikes represent the latest in a relentless campaign of Israeli attacks that have continued unabated since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in late 2024. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has documented more than ten thousand Israeli violations of the agreement, including daily attacks by land, sea, and air. The November 2024 ceasefire was intended to end more than a year of cross-border hostilities that culminated in Israeli strikes that significantly weakened Hezbollah, yet the subsequent period has seen Israel repeatedly breach the terms while accusing Lebanon of insufficient progress in disarming the resistance. Friday's strikes occurred hours after a separate Israeli drone attack on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon killed two people, demonstrating the coordinated nature of Israel's aggression across Lebanese territory.
Lebanese Leadership Condemns Aggression
President Joseph Aoun issued a strongly worded condemnation of the overnight strikes, describing them as "a new violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and a clear breach of international commitments". The presidency's statement characterized the continued attacks as "a blatant act of aggression aimed at undermining Lebanon's diplomatic efforts with partner and friendly nations, foremost among them the United States, to consolidate stability and halt Israeli hostilities against Lebanon". Aoun renewed his call on "countries sponsoring regional stability to assume their responsibilities to immediately stop the attacks and exert pressure to ensure respect for international resolutions," emphasizing the urgent need to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
Hamas Rejects Israeli Pretexts as Palestinian Refugees Targeted
The concurrent strike on the densely populated Ain al-Hilweh camp drew sharp condemnation from Hamas, which rejected Israeli claims of targeting a "Hamas command centre" as "flimsy pretexts" that "do not stand up to the facts". The movement clarified that the targeted facility belonged to the camp's Joint Security Force, tasked with maintaining security and stability for the tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees sheltered there. Hamas described the attack as "a new crime added to the ongoing series of assaults against the Palestinian people and a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty," warning that "targeting a camp that shelters thousands of Palestinian refugees and is densely populated with civilians represents a dangerous escalation and a blatant disregard for all international laws and norms". The Palestinian Red Crescent reported two killed and three wounded in the attack, with ambulances rushing the injured to Sidon hospitals that issued urgent appeals for blood donations.
Resistance, Sovereignty, and Imperial Pressure
Friday's escalation unfolds against a backdrop of intense regional pressure, with the United States and Israel pressing Lebanese authorities to curb Hezbollah's arsenal while Lebanese leaders warn that broader strikes could further destabilize a country already battered by years of political and economic crises. Washington participates in a five-member committee overseeing the ceasefire, with the body scheduled to meet again next week amid these heightened tensions. The strikes also occur as friction brews between the United States and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas, raising fears of a wider conflagration.