By Elsie Kamsiyochi
Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon killed at least 10 people and wounded around 50 others on Friday, according to Lebanese security sources, marking one of the deadliest episodes in the region in recent weeks.
The attacks, concentrated in the Bekaa Valley near the historic city of Baalbek, included the killing of a senior official from Hezbollah, further heightening tensions along Israel’s northern front.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah command centres in the Baalbek area, describing them as hubs used to accelerate the group’s military readiness and missile capabilities.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Israel said several members of Hezbollah’s missile unit were “eliminated” at three different command locations that it accused of planning future attacks on Israel.
Hezbollah later confirmed that eight of its fighters were killed in the strikes, including a commander identified as Hussein Mohammad Yaghi.
His death underscores the seriousness of the Israeli operation and signals a possible escalation despite an existing ceasefire agreement.
Ceasefire Under Growing Strain
The airstrikes threaten to further destabilize a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States in 2024, which was intended to halt more than a year of near-daily cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
While that agreement significantly reduced large-scale fighting, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations, and sporadic clashes have continued.
Friday’s attacks were among the most intense reported in eastern Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect, raising fears that the truce could unravel.
Lebanese officials have warned that renewed large-scale Israeli operations could push the country deeper into instability at a time when it is already grappling with severe economic collapse and political paralysis.
Strikes Extend to Southern Lebanon
In a separate development, the Israeli military said it also carried out an airstrike on what it described as a Hamas command centre in the Ain al-Hilweh area near Sidon in southern Lebanon. Ain al-Hilweh is the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camp and one of its most densely populated areas.
Hamas strongly denied Israel’s claim, saying the site that was hit belonged to the camp’s Joint Security Force, which is tasked with maintaining internal security.
The strike drew condemnation from Palestinian factions and raised alarm over the risk to civilians living in and around the camp.
Lebanese Leadership Condemns Attacks
Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them a “new violation” of Lebanese sovereignty and a breach of international and United Nations obligations.
In a statement released by the presidency, Aoun urged countries that support regional stability—particularly Washington—to intervene and press for an immediate halt to the attacks to prevent further escalation.
U.S. and Israeli officials have meanwhile continued to pressure Lebanese authorities to rein in Hezbollah’s military capabilities, arguing that the group’s arsenal poses a constant threat to Israel. Lebanese leaders counter that the country lacks the capacity to forcibly disarm Hezbollah and warn that external military pressure risks plunging Lebanon into wider conflict.
Regional Tensions Remain High
The latest violence highlights how volatile the Israel–Lebanon front remains, even under a ceasefire framework.
Analysts say the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander could provoke retaliation, while Israel’s strikes on multiple fronts signal its readiness to act pre-emptively against perceived threats.
As diplomatic efforts struggle to contain the fallout, civilians in eastern and southern Lebanon are once again bearing the brunt of a conflict that shows little sign of being fully resolved.
Source Reuters
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