At least twelve people have died due to Israeli air strikes in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, according to the local governor. The fatalities include seven Syrians, among them a family of five, and three Lebanese individuals, as reported by Baalbek-Hermel Governor Bachir Khodr on social media platform X. Additionally, two more deaths were recorded in Shmustar during the attacks.
The Israeli military confirmed that the strikes aimed at multiple military installations associated with the Hezbollah group, specifically training camps linked to its elite Radwan Force. These strikes represent the most lethal escalation since a waning ceasefire concluded a year of heightened hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which included a devastating two-month conflict that significantly weakened the group.
Though Hezbollah has yet to issue an official statement, its Al-Manar TV network characterizes the strikes as breaches of both the ceasefire and Lebanon's sovereignty. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Lt Col Avichay Adraee, detailed on social media that the recent operations targeted various Hezbollah facilities, particularly those utilized by the Radwan Force for storing military equipment and training personnel.
The IDF asserted that Hezbollah's weapons storage and military maneuvers in the Bekaa Valley are clear violations of past agreements between Israel and Lebanon and pose an ongoing threat to Israel’s security. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz remarked that the air strikes serve as a definitive warning to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, emphasizing Israel's readiness to utilize decisive force against efforts to restore Hezbollah’s military clout.
The ceasefire accord arranged by US mediators in November rests upon the adherence to UN Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to the last conflict in 2006. This historic resolution demanded that Hezbollah withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, a strategic buffer zone with only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers permitted to operate there with weaponry. Despite Israel’s agreement to leave Lebanon, it still maintains a military presence at five key locations in the south, which it considers vital for its security. The complex agreement also reiterated prior Security Council calls for the disarmament of all armed factions present in Lebanon.
