At least 23 people were killed in Israeli strikes on two houses in central Lebanon where families who had been displaced were staying, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Among those killed, 15 were mostly women and children in the town of Joun, and another 8 died near Baalchmay. Both towns are in the Mount Lebanon area, away from the main Hezbollah-controlled regions.
The Israeli military said it is investigating these Israeli strikes, which followed an earlier attack on Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah rocket attacks killed two people in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. This escalation happened after Israel’s defense minister stated there would be no ceasefire with Hezbollah until Israel’s objectives in the conflict are achieved.
The Israeli army began attacks on Hezbollah after nearly a year of fighting along the border, which started due to the war in Gaza. Israel says it aims to bring back tens of thousands of people who had to leave their homes near the northern border due to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks. Hezbollah began these attacks in support of the Palestinians after its ally, Hamas, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Since then, over 3,200 people have died in Lebanon, with 2,600 of those deaths happening in just the past seven weeks after Israel’s intense air and ground attacks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Additionally, 1.2 million people have had to leave their homes. On Tuesday morning, Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahieh, at least 10 times after warning people to leave 11 areas.
Lebanese news reported that several buildings, including a medical center in the Bir al-Abed area, were destroyed, but no injuries were reported.
The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah targets, including command centers and places where weapons are made. Later, the Israeli military announced it had destroyed most of Hezbollah’s hidden weapons storage and missile-making sites in Dahieh, which were said to be hidden under civilian buildings.
Many people from Dahieh, a strong Hezbollah area also near southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, have left their homes since September due to repeated Israeli strikes.
On Tuesday night, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that an Israeli strikes on a house in Joun, near Sidon, killed 15 people, including eight women and four children.
The National News Agency reported that displaced families were living in the area. Residents and a security official said that another house, where displaced families were staying, was hit in Baalchmay, 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) northeast, killing eight people and injuring five others.
Wael Murtada told the Associated Press that this house belonged to his uncle and that those inside had left Dahieh around 40 days ago to seek safety. He said at least three children were among those killed.
It’s unclear what the strikes were targeting. In another part of Lebanon, in the southern village of Teffahta, five people were also killed in a separate Israeli strikes, according to the health ministry.
In the northern town of Ain Yaaqou, Lebanon’s Civil Defence said that their team found the bodies of 16 people, including four Syrian refugees, in the ruins of a building destroyed by an air strike on Monday night. The Israeli military said it had targeted a “military structure with a terrorist inside.
” Israeli forces are also working in southern Lebanon to remove Hezbollah’s weapons, like rocket launchers. On Tuesday, Hezbollah fired about 55 rockets from Lebanon into Israel, hitting a warehouse in Nahariya and killing two Israeli men in their 50s.
“There was a lot of destruction and a fire,” paramedic Dor Vakinin told AFP. “We checked two unconscious men, but sadly, their injuries were too severe, and we had to confirm their deaths.”
Hezbollah said its fighters launched several rockets at an Israeli military base north of Acre and also targeted Israeli troops in nearby border communities. A Hezbollah drone also struck the playground of a kindergarten in a suburb of Haifa, but no one was hurt.
On Monday, Israel’s new Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that there would be no ceasefire until Hezbollah could no longer launch attacks.
He said Israel would continue its attacks on Hezbollah until its goals were met, which include disarming Hezbollah, pushing them back beyond the Litani River (about 30 km from the Israeli border), and ensuring residents in northern Israel can return safely to their homes.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mentioned there was “some progress” when asked about a possible ceasefire. Hezbollah’s spokesperson, Mohammed Afif, responded that, as of now, Lebanon has not received any official ceasefire proposal.
Lebanon’s government has called for a ceasefire based on the UN’s 2006 resolution 1701, which ended the last conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
This resolution required that no armed groups, except for Lebanese forces and UN peacekeepers, be allowed south of the Litani River. However, Israel argues this was unsuccessful, as Hezbollah has continued to strengthen its presence in the south and launch rockets across the border.
The Israeli strikes in Mount Lebanon, which killed 23 people, show just how fragile life is in areas affected by conflict. The suffering of innocent people is a reminder of how much we need long-term solutions for peace. As Lebanon grieves, the world should pay attention to what this tragedy means. Through diplomacy, humanitarian aid, or stronger international action, it’s essential to protect civilians who suffer most in these conflicts. For now, the people of Mount Lebanon can only hope for some relief, while the world watches anxiously.
FAQs
1. Why did Israel strike villages in Mount Lebanon? Israel says it attacked Hezbollah targets, seeing them as a big threat because of past attacks and their presence near the border.
2. How has Lebanon responded to the Israeli Strikes? Lebanon’s government has condemned the attacks and asked for help from the international community. Leaders are also asking for humanitarian support for those affected.
3. How likely is it that the conflict will escalate? It’s hard to predict, but tensions are rising. Since these groups have clashed before, any response could lead to a larger conflict.
4. What is the role of the international community? The international community plays an important role in promoting peace and accountability. Many countries and organizations have made statements, and some have offered to help mediate between Israel and Lebanon.
