Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek, killing 19 people, including eight women, Lebanon’s health ministry reports.
The strikes followed an Israeli military order for tens of thousands of residents to evacuate Baalbek and nearby towns.
Baalbek’s mayor, Mustafa al-Shell, reported over 20 strikes in the city, five of which landed near Baalbek’s ancient Roman temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Israeli military stated the strikes targeted Hezbollah command-and-control centers, fuel depots, and logistics operations in the Bekaa Valley, where Baalbek is located.
The strikes come as Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, reaffirmed the group’s intent to continue hostilities against Israel. Qassem assumed leadership following the death of Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
The airstrikes are part of Israel’s expanding campaign against Hezbollah, which has intensified since October.
Evacuation orders in Baalbek spurred panic, with roughly 50,000 people reportedly fleeing within hours. Roula Zeaiter, a Lebanese aid worker, described the chaos, saying, “Lebanon is becoming like Gaza, with Israeli forces using the same tactics.”
Israel’s operations have reportedly killed more than 2,800 people in Lebanon and displaced 1.2 million since cross-border violence erupted in October.
The United Nations and the United States are working toward a diplomatic solution, with US officials proposing a 60-day ceasefire to address conditions set by a 2006 UN Security Council resolution, which called for the disarmament of all groups in southern Lebanon other than the Lebanese state and peacekeepers.