At least 12 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, marking the deadliest escalation since a ceasefire ended year-long hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Baalbek-Hermel Governor Bachir Khodr, seven Syrian nationals, including a family of five — and three Lebanese were killed when Israeli jets targeted the Wadi Faara area. Two additional deaths were reported in nearby Shmustar.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes were aimed at “military compounds” used by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, including training sites tied to its elite Radwan Force.
“As part of the strikes, military compounds belonging to the Radwan Force have been targeted, where terrorist operatives and warehouses used to store combat equipment employed by Hezbollah have been identified,” said IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee on X.
The Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite commando unit, has been a key focus of Israeli operations since the two-month war that ended last November with a US-brokered ceasefire. The IDF claims it killed the unit’s commanders in September 2024 and says the latest strikes are intended to prevent its reconstitution.
Hezbollah has not officially commented on the latest attacks, but its affiliated Al-Manar television network called them a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and the terms of the ceasefire.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said the air raids were a “clear message” to Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. “Israel is prepared to respond with maximum force against any attempt at rebuilding Hezbollah’s military capabilities,” he warned.
Under the 2024 ceasefire deal, based on the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah was required to retreat north of the Litani River, roughly 30km from the Israeli border. The agreement authorized only Lebanese army units and UN peacekeepers to be armed in the southern region.
Israel, for its part, was expected to withdraw from Lebanese territory entirely but continues to maintain positions at five strategic locations in the south.
The strikes come amid growing concern that the fragile ceasefire could collapse, especially as Hezbollah continues to assert its presence and Israel intensifies its military operations in border regions and beyond.
Follow us on:
