Israeli Airstrikes on Baalbek Result in Casualties Including a Hezbollah Leader
In a new escalation that threatens to worsen tensions in Lebanon, dozens were killed and injured early this Saturday due to Israeli airstrikes targeting the Baalbek area in eastern Lebanon, with reports indicating that a prominent Hezbollah leader was among the victims.
* Prominent Leader Among the Dead
According to journalists, the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people, including 3 members of Hezbollah, one of whom was the leader Hussein Yaghi.
Sources also reported the death of the son of former MP Mohammed Yaghi, who was an aide to the late Secretary-General of the party, Hassan Nasrallah.
A source in Hezbollah told Agence France-Presse that one of its military leaders was among those killed in the strikes that targeted the party's headquarters in the Bekaa region.
* Intensive Strikes on the Bekaa and Eastern Mountain Range
The Israeli army launched at least four airstrikes on the eastern mountain range along the Lebanese-Syrian border, targeting the town of Shaara east of Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa, with strikes also hitting the Badnayel plain and Tamnine al-Tahta.
For its part, the National News Agency reported that the initial toll of the Israeli airstrikes in the Bekaa reached six dead and more than 25 injured, who were distributed among hospitals in the region.
The Israeli army announced that it targeted Hezbollah headquarters in Baalbek, accusing the party of systematically working to reposition its assets among civilian populations.
* Ain al-Hilweh Under Fire
The strikes were not limited to the Bekaa, as they came hours after an Israeli airstrike targeted Ain al-Hilweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, adjacent to the city of Sidon in the south of the country.
The strike resulted in the deaths of two people, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army stated that it targeted a Hamas headquarters, indicating that it is working against the “entrenchment of the Hamas organization in Lebanon,” vowing to continue targeting its elements “wherever they operate.”
In contrast, Hamas condemned the attack, considering it an assault on a headquarters belonging to the joint security force responsible for maintaining security within the camp, describing the Israeli army's narrative as “weak justifications that do not withstand the facts,” confirming civilian casualties.
* Despite the Ceasefire
The Israeli airstrikes continue despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 after more than a year of confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel claims it targets the party's sites, but sometimes hits locations it says belong to Hamas.
* Lebanese Plan for Disarmament
In related news, the Lebanese government had pledged last year to disarm Hezbollah, which emerged weakened from the recent war with Israel, after thousands of its fighters and a large number of its leaders were killed, most notably its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and military leader Fouad Shukr.
The Lebanese army announced last month that it had completed the first phase of a plan extending from the southern border to the Litani River, while the second phase includes the area extending north of the Litani to the Awali River, which flows north of Sidon, about 40 kilometers south of Beirut.
However, Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of rearming, described the progress made by the Lebanese army as insufficient, leaving the scene open for further escalation in the coming phase.
