Lebanese security officials reported that Israel conducted airstrikes targeting eastern Lebanon for the first time since the conflict in Gaza began last October. At least two individuals were killed on Monday following three air raids on the outskirts of Buday village near Baalbek, a stronghold of the Hezbollah militant group in the Bekaa Valley, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Israel-Lebanon border.
The Israeli military stated that the airstrikes aimed at “Hezbollah terror targets deep inside Lebanon.” According to Israel’s army, the strikes targeted sites utilized by Hezbollah for its aerial defense system. This action came in response to the launch of a surface-to-air missile earlier on Monday in southern Lebanon, where previous Israeli attacks had occurred.
A Hezbollah official informed that the airstrikes hit a warehouse, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The warehouse is part of Hezbollah’s Sajjad Project, which provides food products to residents in its stronghold at prices below market rates.
Videos shared by Lebanese media depicted smoke rising from the area near the Aadous plain in Buday, west of Baalbek. Additional footage showed the aftermath of the airstrikes, including destroyed vehicles and buildings.
The strikes followed Hezbollah’s claim that its fighters had downed an Israeli drone over its stronghold in southern Lebanon earlier in the day. Israel intercepted another missile fired by Hezbollah towards the drone, which landed near a synagogue in a town close to Nazareth in northern Israel, causing no injuries or damage.
The strike on Baalbek, due to its deep location inside Lebanon, marks a significant escalation since the attack on Beirut in early January, which resulted in the death of top Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri.
Following the airstrikes, Hezbollah retaliated by launching a volley of rockets at an Israeli military base in the occupied Golan Heights, according to a statement by the group. The Israeli military confirmed the rocket launch from Lebanon towards Israel, stating that dozens of rockets were fired.
In response to the Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its senior officers, Hassan Salami, in southern Lebanon’s Hujair Valley region. The Israeli Air Force reported that Salami, responsible for carrying out rocket attacks on northern Israel, was killed by a missile fired from an Israeli fighter jet while driving a vehicle in the village of Majadel.
The exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has escalated nearly daily along the border since the Gaza conflict began on October 7, resulting in civilian casualties on both sides. Despite Hezbollah’s ties with Hamas, the group has indicated it will cease attacks on Israel once a ceasefire is established in Gaza. However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Sunday that any assumption of a temporary truce for Gaza extending to the northern front is mistaken.
The conflict in Gaza has led to significant casualties and displacement, with Israel reporting nearly 30,000 Palestinian fatalities and the displacement of 80 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Hamas initiated the conflict with an unprecedented attack into southern Israel on October 7, resulting in over 1,100 deaths and approximately 240 individuals taken captive.
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