BEIRUT( The COW News Digital ) In a deadly escalation of regional tensions, Israeli forces launched a targeted airstrike on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, killing at least 12 members of the group’s elite Radwan Force. The attack marks another violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered in November 2023.
According to international media reports, the Israeli air force struck what they claimed were Hezbollah military training facilities used for operations against Israel. The strike inflicted heavy casualties and caused significant damage to infrastructure.
Lebanese state media confirmed the attack and reported additional civilian casualties. At least 7 Syrian refugees were also killed after one of the strikes hit a nearby refugee camp. Multiple others were injured, raising fears of further humanitarian fallout.
A video of the aftermath went viral on social media, showing destruction and chaos in the affected areas, further fueling outrage in Lebanon and across the region.
The Israeli military spokesperson stated that the facilities targeted were directly involved in planning and executing attacks against Israeli civilians, adding that their presence in the Bekaa Valley violated the terms of the November truce. “These centers were used to train militants for cross-border operations,” the spokesperson claimed.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a stern warning following the airstrikes. “This is a clear message to Hezbollah and the Lebanese government: we will strike anyone who poses a threat to Israeli citizens or territory,” he said in a statement.
The Bekaa Valley, previously a key weapons smuggling route for Hezbollah during Syria’s civil war, has seen fewer attacks compared to southern Lebanon. However, this strike suggests a geographic expansion of the conflict zone.
The escalation comes amid rising regional instability, with Israel having conducted several cross-border operations in recent months. Just last week, Israeli forces seized around 3 tons of weapons from suspected Hezbollah-linked arms depots allegedly supplied by Syrian sources.
Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have been brewing for months. Israeli intelligence believes that Hezbollah’s Radwan Force had been preparing for a large-scale attack in northern Israel, a plan reportedly shelved following Hamas’s assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
As both sides trade blame and threats, the risk of a broader regional war continues to grow, prompting urgent international calls for restraint.
