LEBANON: The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s Baalbek district has tragically increased to 57, with reports of numerous injuries, as detailed by Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The series of 25 attacks targeted residential neighbourhoods including Ras al-Ain, leading to extensive damage to homes, businesses, and local infrastructure.
A single Israeli attack killed 12 members of two families in Amahz village.
Additional fatalities were reported across various villages: eight in Younine, six in Bednayel, and five in Saeeda.
Israel’s attacks included another tragic incident where an entire family of four was killed in Al-Alaq.
This escalation is part of a broader military onslught that Israel has intensified since September, claiming to target Hezbollah operatives.
The ongoing conflict has its roots in years of Israel’s illegal occupation of territories in several countries of the region that was acoompanied by sporadic cross-border skirmishes, which intensified following Israel’s major offensive in Gaza that commenced in October 2023.
According to Lebanese health authorities, the Israeli campaign agains Lebanon has claimed the lives of nearly 2,900 individuals since it began last year.
In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels, with estimates of over 43,000 deaths and more than 101,000 injuries reported in the same timeframe.
Hezbollah, responding to the airstrikes, launched rockets aimed at an Israeli intelligence base in the Tel Aviv suburbs.
This counterattack resulted in injuries to at least 19 Israelis when a rocket struck a building in Tira, highlighting the escalating hostilities between the two sides.
Sirens were activated across central Israel as multiple rockets crossed into its territory, indicating a significant uptick in military engagement.
The latest airstrikes have also sparked widespread condemnation from Lebanese officials. Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized Israel for issuing evacuation orders for entire areas, calling these directives an “additional war crime.”
He has urged the international community to apply diplomatic pressure on Israel to halt its attacks, which have caused immense civilian suffering.
As the conflict rages on, there are ongoing discussions regarding a potential ceasefire.
Mikati mentioned that US envoy Amos Hochstein had indicated during a recent phone call that a ceasefire could be feasible before the upcoming US elections on November 5.
However, he noted that the realisation of such a ceasefire would likely depend on implementing the United Nations resolution that concluded the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
This recent wave of violence is part of a complex geopolitical landscape, as tensions in the region continue to rise. The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further escalation as both sides continue military operations.
Humanitarian organisations are calling for immediate aid and intervention, as many civilians in Lebanon and Gaza face dire conditions amid the ongoing invasion.
Civil defense teams have been actively involved in rescue operations and debris removal in the aftermath of the airstrikes, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in the affected areas.
The long-term implications of this conflict are yet to be fully understood, but the suffering endured by civilians on both sides of the border is increasingly coming to the forefront of international attention.
