On Monday morning, Israeli forces conducted air raids over the Kayal-Bodai junction in the governorate of Baalbek-El Hermel.
At least three strikes have been noted so far, completely leveling a building belonging to Hezbollah as part of the group’s Sajjad project. According to L’Orient Today, a security source informed that the targeted infrastructure included food storage sheds and a rented house nearby, both of which were hit, in addition to a car carrying foodstuffs.
The Sajjad project works on selling food supplies to residents at lower rates than that of the market.
Notably, this was the first Israeli strike to hit the governorate since the recent escalations in fighting, and the farthest into Lebanese territory. It is also the first Israeli airstrike on the area since the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.
The Israeli military claims its airstrikes in the #Bekaa were on sites used by Hezbollah’s “Aerial Defense Array.” They come a mere few hours after Hezbollah was successful in downing an Israeli Elbit Hermes 450 drone over Lebanese territory, as documented by various videos posted online.
The attack also comes one day after Israeli Minister Yoav Gallant said that attacks on Lebanon would continue even if a truce was reached in Gaza.
So far, reports have indicated that at least two people were killed and two people were injured as a result of the air raids on villages in the surroundings of the city of Baalbek.
A Series of Back-and-Forths
Israeli forces claimed that their strikes targeted one of Hezbollah’s sites, with the three strikes targeting the outskirts of the village of Buday near Baalbak. This came after Hezbollah announced that it downed an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Iqlim al-Tuffah.
The strikes represent another escalation in the scale and scope of Israeli bombing as it was the deepest strike to hit the country so far.
Continued Operations Deep into Lebanese Territory
In addition, various residents noted heavy presence of drones and other Israeli military aircraft above the capital city of Beirut and other areas such as Kayfoun, a recurrent trend by Israeli forces throughout the last period.
Israeli authorities have asserted that they plan on continuing and even expanding their operations in Lebanon, as per comments by minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant stated that Israel would continue operations on the Lebanese front even if a truce is reached in Gaza.
Similarly to their operations in Palestine and other countries of the region, they have shown no signs of de-escalating or responding to international appeals or pressures.
So far, Israeli attacks since October 2023 have killed over 29,606 people in Gaza, including at least 12,300 children and 8,400 women, and have injured more than 69,737 people.
Hundreds have also been killed in the West Bank and in Lebanon, where 89,817 individuals were documented as displaced.