Developing: Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Leave 33 Dead

A series of Israeli airstrikes on eastern and southern Lebanon on Saturday resulted in at least 33 deaths as Israel escalated its attacks on Hezbollah. According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israeli raids targeted the Baalbek-Hermel region in the east, killing 20 people, including 11 in Knaissseh, an area known for Hezbollah’s presence. The strikes also injured 14 others.

In the south, Israeli strikes claimed at least 13 lives, including seven rescuers from groups associated with Hezbollah and its ally Amal. Among the casualties were five people in the southern village of Hanaway. Additionally, a strike on Deir Qanoun al-Naher killed six members of the Amal-linked Risala Scouts and one individual from Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Committee.

The Israeli military confirmed that its aircraft targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the Tyre and Baalbek areas, specifically hitting personnel, operational bases, and weapons depots. Another airstrike in Nabatieh wounded 12 people.

Saturday’s attacks followed a deadly strike on Friday in the city of Tyre, where seven people, including two young girls, were killed, and 46 others were injured. Rescuers continued to search for people trapped under the rubble, with additional bodies expected to be identified through DNA testing.

Amid these escalating clashes, Hezbollah reported launching rocket and missile attacks on Israeli military sites, including areas near Haifa, and claimed to have downed an Israeli drone over a village in southern Lebanon.

Israel ramped up its airstrikes on Lebanon starting September 23, followed by a ground invasion a week later. This escalation has unfolded after a year of low-intensity border skirmishes with Hezbollah, which has supported its Palestinian ally Hamas since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that ignited the Gaza conflict. Since the cross-border exchanges began, over 3,110 people have died in Lebanon, with at least 2,700 of those fatalities occurring since the late September escalation.