Israeli Airstrikes Target Lebanon as Hezbollah Fires Rockets
Israeli warplanes launched a series of nighttime airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah responded with a fresh round of rocket attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit Hezbollah “without mercy.”
Israeli jets targeted areas around the city of Baalbek, including Duris and Rayak in central Bekaa, where a residential building was hit. Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that the Israeli army carried out three strikes on Baalbek, with local media sources stating that areas such as Nabi Sheet, the outskirts of Ablah, Rayak, and the Ferzol Plain were also targeted, along with Duris.
Further strikes hit a building in Karak, Zahle district, and the town of Al-Ain in northern Bekaa, as well as the Qasmiyeh region and Qa’qaiya in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported 21 deaths and 4 injuries from an Israeli airstrike on the town of Ayto, Zgharta district, northern Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s correspondent noted that the strike damaged surrounding buildings, and emergency teams transported the wounded to local hospitals. This marked the first airstrike in Zgharta since the clashes began.
Hezbollah’s Rocket Fire
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel. Israel’s Home Front Command confirmed that sirens sounded in Shlomi, northern Israel. Hezbollah stated that its rockets targeted Israeli forces at the Al-Baghdadi site and the Kiryat Shmona settlement.
Yesterday, Tel Aviv faced an unprecedented rocket attack, with sirens sounding in around 200 cities and towns across Israel.
The Israeli army claimed it intercepted three ballistic missiles launched from Lebanon and later struck the launch sites. The attack forced two million Israelis to take shelter, disrupting flights at Ben Gurion Airport.
The missile attack followed a drone strike on a Golani Brigade base in Binyamina, south of Haifa, which killed four Israeli soldiers and injured dozens.
Hezbollah expanded its missile strikes on Israeli military sites in the Upper Galilee, targeting Karmiel, a naval base north of Haifa, and Beit Lid, north of Tel Aviv. Sirens were heard across Safed, Tiberias, and large parts of the Galilee.
Netanyahu’s Vow
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday to continue hitting Hezbollah “without mercy,” following a drone attack that caused the largest Israeli death toll since the latest escalation began in late September.
During a visit to the targeted base, Netanyahu declared, “I want to be clear: We will continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy across Lebanon, including Beirut.”
Since September 23, Israel has expanded its genocidal campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, to include Lebanon, launching airstrikes on Beirut and ground incursions in the south.
As of Sunday evening, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon had killed 1,539 people and injured 4,471, with a large number of women and children among the casualties. The strikes have displaced over 1.34 million people.
Hezbollah continues to respond daily with rocket attacks, drones, and artillery shelling targeting Israeli military sites and settlements. While Israel has disclosed some of its losses, military censorship has imposed a strict blackout on most of the damage, according to observers.
