Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s Baalbek region in the Bekaa Valley killed 40 people and injured 53 on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The strikes followed ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which have intensified since late September. Israeli forces have bombed southern and eastern Lebanon and conducted ground incursions into border villages.
The violence also extended to Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Israeli attacks continued. The Israeli military ordered evacuations in the area, and subsequent airstrikes occurred late Wednesday and early Thursday, though no immediate casualties were reported.
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, stated that political efforts were unlikely to end the conflict, suggesting that negotiations could happen only if Israel halted its attacks. Qassem outlined a potential path for indirect negotiations via Lebanon’s state institutions.
Meanwhile, U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire have stalled. Despite a failed 60-day ceasefire proposal, efforts continue as Lebanon’s rescue teams search for survivors in buildings destroyed by Israeli bombings, including an attack in Barja that killed 20 people.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched missiles at an Israeli military base.
Over 3,000 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the last six weeks.
Israel has named a new defense minister, Israel Katz, who vowed to defeat Hezbollah, while political efforts to mediate the conflict have made little progress.
