At Least 12 Killed in Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanon, Including Senior Hezbollah Official

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed at least 12 people, Lebanese authorities say, including a senior commander from the militant group Hezbollah. The attacks took place in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and in a densely populated Palestinian refugee camp.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley killed around 10 people and injured about 24 others, including three children. Security sources confirmed that Hussein Yaghi, a senior Hezbollah figure and son of a former party official, was among those killed. His funeral is expected to take place soon.

Earlier in the day, a separate strike hit the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, killing two people. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas command center in the camp, although this claim was disputed by local sources who said the building belonged to a joint Palestinian security force.

The Israeli Defence Forces stated on social media that they struck Hezbollah command centers in the Bekaa region that were allegedly being used to plan attacks, calling this a violation of ceasefire understandings. They also said the strike in Ain al-Hilweh was a response to repeated ceasefire breaches.

These airstrikes are among the deadliest in eastern Lebanon in recent weeks and threaten to undermine a fragile ceasefire that was brokered in late 2024 after more than a year of cross‑border fighting. Since the truce took effect, both sides have accused each other of violations, and occasional strikes have continued.

The violence follows a long period of conflict that began in October 2023 when Hezbollah began launching rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, after the militant group’s attack triggered a wider regional escalation. A ground offensive in southern Lebanon in 2024 damaged Hezbollah’s capabilities and displaced tens of thousands before the ceasefire was agreed.

The recent strikes have heightened fears of further escalation, especially amid broader regional tensions tied to ongoing disputes and international diplomatic pressures.