October 31, 2024 Israeli air strikes killed 19 persons, including eight women, in areas around Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, Lebanon’s health ministry said. The air strikes hit hours after Israel’s military issued evacuation orders for Baalbek and nearby towns, leading to mass exoduses of residents. The mayor of Baalbek, Mustafa al-Shell, said that the town had experienced more than 20 strikes, some of them hitting residential buildings and areas very close to the UNESCO-listed Roman temple complex. That is still intact as of this writing.
The Israeli military reported that it struck Hezbollah command and logistics centers in Baalbek and Nabatiyeh, fuel depots, and other infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, an important area for Hezbollah operations and supply routes. The Lebanese officials reported that five strikes hit the city center of Baalbek, targeting Ras al-Ain Hills, Amshki, and the al-Kayyal Road areas. Thick black smoke billowed from the town of Douris as diesel tanks were hit, according to pictures.
The new Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, has vowed to launch more attacks on Israel and said there would be no end to fighting as long as Israel continues to expand its operation against Hezbollah’s supply chains and military camps in eastern Lebanon. Death toll in Lebanon: more than 2,800, displaced: more than 1.2 million.
The attacks have again drawn international attention and UNESCO has appealed to both parties not to destroy the cultural heritage sites in Lebanon. According to UNESCO, sites such as Baalbek’s ancient Roman ruins “are the heritage of all humanity.” Meanwhile, officials from the United States are heading towards Israel to discuss political settlements including the proposed 60-day truce in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
As regional tensions continue to build, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najob Mikati was cautiously optimistic that a ceasefire would be reached “within hours or days,” while the US State Department called for preserving civilian lives and infrastructure in the midst of the unfolding crisis.