Israeli warplanes carried out a wave of intense airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa on Sunday evening, targeting multiple locations.
The strikes come on the eve of US envoy Tom Barrack’s expected arrival in Beirut. Barrack is due to receive Lebanon’s formal response to Washington’s proposed roadmap aimed at resolving two major issues within six months: the presence of illegal arms in the country, and the continued Israeli military presence at five border points in the south.
Quoting military sources, Israel’s Channel 14 described the strikes as “exceptional.” The attacks targeted several key areas. These included the Kfar Melki Valley and the triangle between Aïn Qana, Sarba, and Houmine in the south.
In Bourj Rahal, near Tyre, three successive airstrikes caused significant material damage. Additional strikes hit Wadi Tebna, Baysariya, Deir Qanoun el-Nahr, and Ras el-Aïn, with the bombardment stretching as far as the coastal area of Zahrani. In that region, the town of Erzay was hit multiple times.
The Bekaa Valley saw similarly sustained attacks. The highlands of Bouday and the jurd (rugged terrain) of Chmestar came under fire, along with reported strikes on the jurd of Janta and near Nabi Chit in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, an area known to host Hezbollah positions.
At least three separate strikes also targeted Falaway, Wadi el-Zayné, and Bouday once again. No fatalities were reported, though three paramedics were injured in a car accident as they raced in an ambulance to respond to the strikes in Bourj Rahal.
Late in the evening, the Israeli military announced via Telegram that it had struck “multiple Hezbollah military sites, including strategic weapons production and storage facilities.” The statement also confirmed that rocket launch sites in both the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon were hit, calling Hezbollah’s presence in these areas a “blatant violation of agreements between Israel and Lebanon.”
“The Israeli military will continue to act to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel,” the statement added.
Following the wave of airstrikes, Israeli drones were reported flying at low altitude over the Baalbeck region and the southern suburb of Beirut.
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