Israeli airstrikes on Monday resulted in the deaths of at least 60 individuals in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, marking one of the deadliest series of strikes in the region since the escalation of conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah last month, according to Lebanese officials.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 58 others sustained injuries from the attacks, as reported by Lebanon’s health ministry. The majority of the airstrikes targeted the Baalbek district, an area characterized by farmland and villages, which is under Hezbollah's influence and borders Syria.
Israel's military stated that its operations in Lebanon are aimed at Hezbollah's military infrastructure. On Tuesday, the military announced that its forces had conducted “joint aerial and ground operations” against “terror infrastructure sites” in Lebanon, although it did not specify the Bekaa Valley.
Residents described the airstrikes on Monday night and Tuesday morning as the most intense they had encountered, with some strikes occurring within the city of Baalbek itself, a location that had previously experienced relative safety during the recent air campaign. Ibrahim Bayan, a deputy of the mayor of Baalbek, remarked, “They were the most powerful strikes we’ve had here.”
Mr. Bayan recounted hearing the sound of airstrikes beginning around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, with the situation escalating by 7 p.m. when his house shook from the blasts. He reported that the sounds of strikes and ambulance sirens kept him awake throughout the night.
At Rayak Hospital, the emergency room was inundated with patients shortly after the strikes commenced, according to the hospital's director, Dr. Ali Abdallah, who described the night as one of the most challenging for both the hospital and the community.
As day broke on Tuesday, residents emerged to assess the damage, discovering that several buildings around Gouraud Barracks, a former French military base now used for residential purposes, had been destroyed. Officials confirmed that at least nine residents of Gouraud were killed in the strikes.
Prior to the attacks, residents of Gouraud had received evacuation orders from the Israeli military. Some chose to remain, while others left only to return, believing the area was safe a week after the warning was issued.
The conflict escalated after Hezbollah began firing at Israeli positions in solidarity with Hamas following the latter's attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year. Israel has since intensified its military actions against Hezbollah, resulting in numerous casualties among its leaders and fighters.
The Bekaa Valley had previously been relatively unaffected by the exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah over the past year. However, as the conflict has spread to eastern Lebanon, approximately 70 percent of Baalbek's residents have fled, transforming the once vibrant urban center into a ghost town, according to Mr. Bayan. The recent airstrikes have further unsettled those who remain.
“Most people have no idea what to do with themselves,” Mr. Bayan stated. “Those who have money already left. Those who can’t afford to go anywhere have stayed. Now they are just surviving on hope.”