Lebanon’s health ministry has reported that Israeli air strikes have resulted in the deaths of 21 individuals in eastern Lebanon, an area that has faced a series of attacks for nearly a week.
“The Israeli enemy’s raids on Baalbek-Hemel have resulted in 21 fatalities and 47 injuries,” the ministry stated, providing a preliminary count, while an AFP journalist noted heavy bombardment in the Baalbek region.
Israel has targeted more locations in Lebanon, intensifying pressure on Hezbollah with fresh assaults following the death of the Iran-backed group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, along with several other senior commanders as part of an escalating military operation.
These strikes have delivered a staggering number of setbacks to Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border skirmishes, annihilating much of its leadership and exposing security vulnerabilities.
Nasrallah’s body was retrieved intact from the location of Friday’s attack.
In the aftermath of Nasrallah’s death, which occurred during an airstrike in Beirut on Friday, Hezbollah initiated a barrage of rockets directed at Israel, while Iran vowed to avenge his demise.
The intensifying Israeli bombardment has heightened fears that the conflict may spiral out of control, potentially involving Iran and the United States, Israel’s closest ally.
Nasrallah’s 32-year leadership not only transformed Hezbollah into a formidable domestic influence in Lebanon but also established it as a key element in Iran’s network of allied factions across the Arab world.
According to medical and security sources, Nasrallah’s body was found intact at the site of the airstrike on Friday.
Hezbollah has yet to announce the date of his funeral.
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Supporters of Hezbollah and other Lebanese citizens who admired its role in fighting against Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon for many years, are mourning his loss.
“We have lost the leader who instilled strength and belief in us that this small country we cherish could become a paradise,” said Lebanese Christian Sophia Blanche Rouillard, who carried a black flag to work in Beirut.
The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel marks the latest chapter in a four-decade collision, coinciding with Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas that erupted following the Iran-backed group’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Israel’s declared objective is to secure its northern regions from Hezbollah’s rocket attacks and enable the return of thousands of displaced individuals, yet its military actions have severely affected civilians in Lebanon.
Israeli troops in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, near the Lebanese border.
Lebanon’s health ministry has indicated that over 1,000 Lebanese people have died and 6,000 have been injured in the past two weeks, without specifying how many were civilians.
The government reported that a million citizens, approximately one-fifth of the population, have fled their residences.
In Beirut, some displaced families are spending nights on benches at Zaitunay Bay, a lively area with restaurants and cafes along the waterfront.
“No matter what you do, no matter how many bombs you drop, or how many people you displace – we will not be eradicated. We will remain here. This is our homeland,” said Francoise Azori, a resident of Beirut, while jogging in the vicinity.
The UN World Food Programme has announced the launch of an emergency initiative to provide sustenance for those affected by the ongoing conflict.
Military action
Israel’s military declared that its air force struck numerous targets this morning, including weapon launchers and storage facilities. Meanwhile, its navy reported intercepting eight projectiles launched from Lebanon and one originating from the Red Sea.
Drones were reported flying overhead across various parts of the Lebanese capital overnight and throughout the day.
The death of Nasrallah marked a challenging fortnight for Hezbollah, beginning with the detonation of thousands of devices used by its members.
At least nine individuals lost their lives due to the explosions.
Following this incident, another 20 deaths occurred when walkie-talkies utilized by Hezbollah detonated in southern Lebanon and within the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut.
While Israel was generally believed to be responsible for these actions, it has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa valley near the Syrian border, and in Beirut’s southern suburbs have led to the deaths of several high-ranking commanders within the group.
Israel has claimed responsibility for the death of Nabil Kaouk, a significant Hezbollah leader, which Hezbollah has verified.
Escalation risks
Concerns regarding the possibility of a broader conflict have intensified.
Israel has mobilized reserve brigades and declared readiness for all options, including ground offensive operations.
Thousands gathered in Tehran to protest following the death of Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah proclaimed that it would only agree to ceasefire once Israel’s offensive in Gaza concludes.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that Nasrallah’s “elimination renders the world a safer environment.”
Conversely, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref condemned the “unjust bloodshed,” warning that Nasrallah’s killing would lead to Israel’s eventual “downfall.”
Hamas referred to Nasrallah’s assassination as a “cowardly act of terrorism.”
Public mourning has been declared in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, while Yemen’s Huthi rebels announced that they launched a missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport yesterday in an effort to strike it as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from New York.
Diplomatic initiatives have shown minimal signs of success.
During a cabinet meeting, Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary stated that efforts for a ceasefire were still ongoing.
US President Joe Biden remarked that “it’s time for a ceasefire” when questioned about the likelihood of an Israeli ground operation, yet he also praised Nasrallah’s killing as an act of justice for Hezbollah’s victims.
In Iran, which was pivotal in Hezbollah’s establishment in the early 1980s, prominent figures expressed grief over the loss of a senior Revolutionary Guards member who died alongside Nasrallah.
Tehran has called for a meeting of the UN Security Council to address Israel’s actions.
Sources informed Reuters that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was relocated to a secure location in Iran after Nasrallah’s death.
Hezbollah’s arsenal has long been a topic of debate within Lebanon, a nation with a history of civil strife.
Critics within Lebanon argue that Hezbollah has unilaterally dragged the country into conflicts and weakened state authority.
However, Lebanon’s leading Christian cleric, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, stated that Nasrallah’s killing has “opened a wound in the heart of the Lebanese.” While Mr. Rai has previously criticized the Shi’ite Islamist group, accusing it of involving Lebanon in regional hostilities.
Nasrallah led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel.
