Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon Leave 52 Dead as Tensions Escalate

Rescuers in northeastern Lebanon are racing to locate survivors in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 52 people, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The strikes late Friday targeted Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, prompting evacuations and leaving several buildings in ruins with smoke visible over the area.

The health ministry further reported that 72 individuals were injured in the assault. In a separate attack, Israeli jets bombarded the Dahiya neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, destroying numerous structures, although there were no reported casualties.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military confirmed that cross-border rocket attacks from Hezbollah claimed the lives of seven Israelis in northern Israel. In a statement on social platform X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed that its jets struck weapons production facilities and Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, citing "precise intelligence" in targeting what they described as militant infrastructure.

Lebanese Acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the intensification of Israeli strikes, describing them as an "expansion of aggression" and asserting that they demonstrate Israel’s disregard for ceasefire negotiations. Earlier in the week, Mikati had voiced tentative optimism for reaching a truce.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored continued efforts toward peace, advocating for the 2006 UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah's withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the exit of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

Since October 1, the IDF has conducted extensive aerial operations and ground incursions in southern Lebanon, where nearly a quarter of all structures in border villages have sustained damage or destruction, according to analysis by The Washington Post based on satellite imagery.

The once-bustling towns of Kfarkela, Mays al-Jabal, and Labune are now largely desolate. As UN reports estimate that 1.4 million Lebanese have been displaced, many have fled to Syria, which is grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Intensified attacks on Lebanon’s hilly border villages—strategic for their vantage points over northern Israel—have led to the destruction of over 80 percent of the buildings in these areas since the IDF began operations last month. Satellite analysis by The New York Times reveals that at least 1,085 buildings in southern Lebanon were decimated during the IDF’s recent campaign.

Some observers, including the U.S., express concern that the conflict may lead to an Israeli territorial foothold in southern Lebanon, echoing the ongoing Israeli presence in the West Bank and Golan Heights.