Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon killed at least 40 people and wounded 53 near the eastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese health ministry reported on Wednesday. The violence continued later in the evening with more strikes hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has intensified over the past year, especially since late September, coinciding with the ongoing Gaza war. Israel's forces have stepped up airstrikes on Lebanon's south and east, alongside ground incursions into border villages.
Hezbollah’s strongholds in the southern Beirut suburbs have been frequent targets of Israeli bombing. On Wednesday, Israeli troops ordered evacuations in several areas of the southern suburbs ahead of multiple bombing raids, one of which occurred late Wednesday and another early Thursday. Reports from Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV mentioned at least four new strikes on Thursday, although no immediate casualties or details were available.
Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, expressed doubt that political efforts could end the conflict. He suggested that indirect negotiations could only take place if Israel ceased its attacks. "When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path for negotiations that we have clearly defined," Qassem said, referring to the Lebanese government and Speaker Nabih Berri as potential mediators.
Diplomatic attempts by the U.S. to halt the fighting, including a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, stalled last week ahead of the U.S. elections, which saw former President Donald Trump reclaim the White House.
The violence in Lebanon has already claimed more than 3,000 lives over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the past six weeks. Lebanese rescuers have been working tirelessly, including in the town of Barja south of Beirut, where an Israeli strike on Tuesday evening killed 20 people. The attack left a destroyed apartment building in its wake, and survivors like Moussa Zahran, who was injured, described the horror of the situation, saying large rocks had fallen on his 13-year-old son.
The strike's target remains unclear, but there were no evacuation warnings before the raid. In retaliation, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching missiles at an Israeli military base near Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli media reported a rocket landing near the airport, while the Israeli military confirmed that several projectiles from Lebanon had crossed into Israel, some of which were intercepted.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have made little headway. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Israel Katz as defense minister on Tuesday, with Katz vowing to defeat Hezbollah and ensure the return of displaced Israelis from the north. Meanwhile, Lebanese political figures, including Speaker Nabih Berri, met with U.S. and Saudi ambassadors to discuss the ongoing crisis.
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