Israeli Strikes Kill 33 People, Lebanon Reports

Photo : AFP

On Tuesday, Lebanon's health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes killed 33 people across the country, with many of the victims being displaced civilians. The strikes, which have escalated since September 23, hit both well-known Hezbollah strongholds and areas where the Iran-backed group had not traditionally been present, indicating a broadening of Israel’s military actions.

The deadliest attack took place in the Chouf region, south of Beirut, where a strike on a building housing displaced people resulted in at least 15 fatalities. The Lebanese health ministry revised its previous toll from 12 to 15, including eight women and four children. The ministry also confirmed that 12 others were wounded in the attack.

In addition to the Chouf, strikes in the Aley region, located further north in the mountainous area east of Beirut, claimed eight lives. According to a security source, the attack hit a house where people displaced by the ongoing conflict had sought refuge. One person was reported killed in the Tyre area in the south of Lebanon, while other attacks in the southern towns of Tefahta and Roumin left seven dead. Two additional casualties were reported from the Hermel region in the Bekaa Valley, which borders Syria.

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Nabatiyeh, a city in the south that has previously been targeted by Israeli strikes, was again hit. In previous weeks, Israeli airstrikes destroyed Nabatiyeh’s historic marketplace and killed the city’s mayor.

While Israel’s airstrikes have primarily focused on Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut and the eastern and southern regions of Lebanon, reports indicate that the targets have often included buildings sheltering civilians displaced by the conflict. Israeli officials argue that many of these buildings are believed to house Hezbollah operatives, despite the significant civilian toll.

In retaliation, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching missiles at an Israeli air base near Tel Aviv. The exchange came after Israeli military strikes on Hezbollah positions in the southern Beirut area. Meanwhile, two people were reported killed in Israel’s northern town of Nahariya, struck by rocket fire from Lebanon.

The ongoing violence follows months of escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which have been fueled by Hezbollah’s support for Hamas, particularly after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that triggered the wider Gaza war. The violence has claimed over 3,300 lives in Lebanon, the majority of them in the past month, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The United Nations peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, visited Beirut on Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The visit was part of efforts to press for an immediate ceasefire as the international community continues to call for an end to the bloodshed. Despite these appeals, there is little sign of the conflict abating, with both sides engaged in fierce exchanges.