BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes killed at least 38 people in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley near the eastern city of Baalbek on Wednesday. The regional governor confirmed the casualties, and additional strikes targeted southern suburbs of Beirut as dusk fell.
Escalating Tensions Amid the Gaza Conflict
The Israeli military and Hezbollah have been engaged in cross-border fire for over a year. However, the violence has surged since late September, with Israeli forces intensifying airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon. Israeli ground forces have also moved into border villages.
In the Baalbek-Hermel region, around 40 Israeli strikes killed 38 people and injured 54, according to Governor Bachir Khodr on social media platform X. The Israeli military has yet to comment on the strikes. In Beirut, Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs. Four airstrikes struck the area on Wednesday after the Israeli military ordered evacuations from several locations. No immediate casualty report has been released from the capital.
Political Standoff and Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem dismissed hopes for a political resolution. He hinted at potential indirect negotiations if Israel halts its attacks.
“When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path for negotiations that we have clearly defined — indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state,” Qassem stated. His remarks were a rare nod to possible de-escalation, yet he reinforced Hezbollah’s readiness to continue its offensive.
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Lebanese Rescuers Dig for Survivors
Lebanese rescue workers searched the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Barja, south of Beirut, following an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening. The attack killed 20 people, according to the health ministry.
Moussa Zahran, a resident of the building, sifted through the debris in search of his belongings. His feet were wrapped in gauze after being burned during the attack, and his wife and son are in the hospital recovering from injuries.
“These rocks that you see here weigh 100 kilos; they fell on a 13-kilo kid,” Zahran said, referring to the debris that crushed his son. There was no evacuation warning prior to the airstrike, and it remains unclear if a Hezbollah member was targeted.
Hezbollah Targets Israeli Naval Bases
In response, Hezbollah claimed multiple attacks on Wednesday, including two strikes on Israeli naval bases near Haifa and two south of Tel Aviv. Hezbollah reported hitting the Stella Maris naval base with missiles and drones, marking the fourth such attack on the base in recent weeks.
Later, Hezbollah announced it had launched drones at the Haifa naval base for the first time and struck another target south of Tel Aviv.
Combatants Ready for Battle
Hezbollah leader Qassem stated that the group has tens of thousands of combatants prepared for conflict, warning that no area in Israel is beyond Hezbollah’s reach.
“We have tens of thousands of trained resistance combatants ready to fight,” Qassem said during a speech marking 40 days since his predecessor’s death. He stressed that Hezbollah’s campaign against Israel is not influenced by the U.S. election outcome, saying the battlefield—not political developments—will determine the end of hostilities.
“What will stop this war is the battlefield,” he declared, underscoring Hezbollah’s determination to continue its attacks in southern Lebanon and Israel. This was Qassem’s second speech since he assumed leadership of the group last week.
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