BEIRUT (BN24) — Israeli air strikes on Tuesday killed at least 12 people, including five Hezbollah fighters, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, marking the deadliest escalation in the area since a U.S.-brokered truce took effect last November, according to Lebanese state media.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the strikes hit the Wadi Fara region in northern Bekaa, damaging a camp housing displaced Syrians and injuring eight others. Bachir Khodr, governor of the Bekaa, said seven of those killed were Syrian nationals.
Israel’s military said the raids targeted training facilities and weapons warehouses used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. Defence Minister Israel Katz described the assault as a “clear message,” accusing the Iranian-backed group of trying to rebuild its capacity to carry out cross-border attacks.
“Israel will respond with maximum force to any attempt at rebuilding,” Katz said, adding that responsibility for maintaining the ceasefire also rested with the Lebanese government.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or Lebanon’s leadership on the latest strikes.
The air assault underscores the fragility of the ceasefire agreement reached last November to end months of clashes along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Under the deal, Hezbollah pledged to withdraw fighters north of the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Israel, leaving the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers as the sole armed forces in the area.
Israel, for its part, was required to pull out troops from Lebanese territory. But it has retained positions in five areas it considers strategic, fueling tension and sporadic violence.
Tuesday’s bombardment came despite repeated U.S. diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed conflict. Washington recently offered a proposal to Beirut that would see Hezbollah disarm within four months in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to aerial attacks.
Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows during last year’s war, assassinating its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and several top commanders while destroying much of its weapons stockpile. Yet Israeli officials have accused the group of quietly rebuilding infrastructure and smuggling arms.
The strikes on Wadi Fara triggered widespread panic among residents of nearby villages, many of whom fled homes fearing further attacks. Images published by Lebanese media showed destroyed buildings and charred vehicles.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called for restraint and urged both sides to adhere to the ceasefire agreement to avoid a broader confrontation.
