An Israeli airstrike in northeastern Lebanon killed 23 Syrian workers and their family members, Lebanese officials reported Thursday. The strike, which occurred late Wednesday near the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, marks one of the deadliest single attacks in Israel’s intensified air campaign against the militant group Hezbollah.
Ali Kassas, mayor of the village of Younine, told Lebanon’s National News Agency that the bodies of 23 Syrian citizens were recovered from the rubble of a building hit in the strike. Four Syrians and four Lebanese were also wounded in the attack.
Local official Hussein Salloum described a grim scene, stating that most of the victims were women and children. Rescue efforts continued through the night and into Thursday morning, with limited resources available. “We dug through the rubble with our own hands,” Salloum told The Associated Press, adding that a small bulldozer was eventually brought in to assist.
The Lebanese Red Cross reported recovering nine bodies, while others were retrieved by Hezbollah’s paramedic service and the Lebanese Civil Defense.
This tragic incident underscores the vulnerability of Syria’s refugee population in Lebanon. The country, with about 6 million residents, hosts nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands more who are unregistered — the world’s highest refugee population per capita.
The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has conducted days of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting what it claims are Hezbollah rocket launchers and military infrastructure. In response, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, recently targeting Tel Aviv with a longer-range missile for the first time.
As violence intensifies, the United States and its allies have called for an “immediate” 21-day ceasefire to “provide space for diplomacy.” However, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would continue fighting “with full force until victory.” Hezbollah has not yet responded to the ceasefire proposal, insisting it would only halt attacks if there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties and displacement. Lebanese health authorities report that Israeli strikes since Monday have killed more than 630 people in Lebanon, with about a quarter being women and children. Tens of thousands have been driven from their homes on both sides of the border.
As international concern grows over the escalating violence, the situation remains volatile, with Israel vowing to do whatever necessary to allow its citizens to return and moving thousands of troops to the northern border in preparation for a possible ground operation.
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