Israel intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah on Thursday, launching a series of airstrikes targeting the Lebanese militia’s strongholds in southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. Among the casualties was Mohammed Srur, a senior Hezbollah commander and head of the organization’s drone unit, believed to be responsible for recent attacks on northern Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Srur’s death after a targeted airstrike hit a 10-story residential building in the Roueiss area of Beirut, near the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Qaim Complex. The strike also killed four others and left several people wounded. Although Hezbollah has not officially commented on Srur’s assassination, Israeli authorities described the operation as retaliation for rocket fire directed at Tel Aviv the previous day.
The escalating conflict, now in its fourth consecutive day, has seen both sides exchange intense barrages of fire, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
Airstrikes After Ceasefire Talks Stall
The recent uptick in violence comes in the wake of international calls for a 21-day ceasefire aimed at resolving longstanding border disputes and easing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein, was quick to deny reports that Lebanon had signed a ceasefire agreement.
While Mikati welcomed the joint diplomatic efforts led by the United States and France, with support from the European Union and several Arab nations, no formal truce materialized. Within hours, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the continuation of airstrikes, categorically dismissing reports of a ceasefire.
Israel’s subsequent air raids have been particularly brutal in the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence. According to reports, the latest airstrikes have killed 155 people and injured over 500 in the region alone, marking one of the deadliest phases of the conflict so far.
Targeting Border Crossings and Civilian Areas
For the first time, Israeli airstrikes have extended to both legal and illegal border crossings between eastern Lebanon and Syria. Many of these crossings are controlled by Hezbollah, while others are used for smuggling activities. One notable attack struck a bridge near the Matraba border crossing on the Syrian side, wounding eight individuals. Additionally, Israeli forces hit the Al-Qasr and Housh Al-Sayyed Ali regions, damaging crossings at Al-Arida, Saleh, and Qabash.
Israeli military officials stated that these sites were used to smuggle weapons from Syria to Hezbollah, justifying the widespread bombing of border regions. However, the impact on civilians has been devastating. In the town of Karak, near Zahle, airstrikes claimed the lives of 15 Lebanese citizens and wounded nine others.
Syrian refugees have also been caught in the crossfire. In Younin, a small town in the Baalbek district, 23 Syrian refugees were killed in a single airstrike. The strikes on Younin have drawn international condemnation, with humanitarian groups highlighting the dire conditions facing refugees trapped in conflict zones.
In another deadly incident, a residential house belonging to Turki Zeaiter in the town of Chaat was destroyed, killing the entire family inside. Nearby, a building close to the home of Ali Youssef Hijazi, secretary-general of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, was also hit. Hijazi was not at home at the time, but several residents were injured.
Rising Civilian Casualties and Destruction
The toll on civilians continues to rise, with many residents in Hezbollah-controlled areas being buried under rubble for hours. In towns such as Nabi Sheet, Khodor, Brital, Al-Bazzaliyah, and Doures, paramedics were delayed in reaching affected areas due to ongoing shelling, leaving survivors to fend for themselves.
Social media has been inundated with pleas for assistance from civilians trapped in these areas, as airstrikes demolished entire neighborhoods. In Beirut’s southern suburbs, Israeli raids have targeted areas densely populated with Hezbollah supporters, further worsening the humanitarian situation.
“People in the villages are living in terror, unable to flee or even get medical assistance,” said one witness from Baalbek, where many civilians have been trapped under heavy bombardment.
In southern Lebanon, the situation is equally grim. Three people were killed in the village of Aita Al-Shaab, and a Syrian national lost his life in Qana. In the town of Halta, three young men were killed when their car was struck by an Israeli missile.
In Tyre district, a series of airstrikes claimed the lives of three more civilians and injured 17 others. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has since warned of an escalating humanitarian crisis as medical supplies dwindle, and hospitals reach full capacity.
Hezbollah’s Retaliation and the Israeli Response
After a brief 16-hour pause in its attacks on Israel, Hezbollah resumed its rocket fire on Thursday, launching dozens of rockets toward the Israeli cities of Acre and Haifa Bay. The Israeli army confirmed that more than 45 rockets were fired from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted, while others landed in uninhabited areas.
In response, the Israeli military intensified its air raids, targeting 75 Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Israeli officials said the targets included weapons depots, rocket launchers, and key military infrastructure. The IDF also reported striking Hezbollah fighters attempting to launch rockets into Israeli territory.
In a notable escalation, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a missile attack on Israel’s Rafael military manufacturing plant, located in the Zvulun area north of Haifa. The organization claimed the attack was part of its ongoing campaign to cripple Israel’s military-industrial complex.
The relentless exchange of airstrikes has forced over 70,000 people to flee southern Lebanon, adding to the swelling numbers of displaced people in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Baalbek-Hermel region. Entire neighborhoods in Beirut are reportedly empty, as families continue to flee their homes in search of safety.
Ibrahim, a father of two who recently fled Beirut’s southern suburbs, described the situation as dire. “Everyone is scared, and we hope we will not stay displaced for long. No one asked us about our needs or the resources we have. We are trying to rent a house, but we can’t find a single vacant room in Beirut, so we turned to relatives.”
Local authorities have opened 530 shelters across Beirut and other regions to accommodate the growing number of displaced families. However, these makeshift shelters are already overwhelmed, and many are left without proper resources.
MP Bilal Abdullah, chairman of the parliamentary health committee, criticized both the government and Hezbollah for their lack of preparedness in dealing with the displacement crisis. “The state is stumbling and confused in addressing the needs of the displaced, and so is Hezbollah. The government’s emergency plan was excellent, but in terms of execution, it’s safe to say it’s at zero. People would be sleeping on the ground if it weren’t for personal initiatives.”
As the conflict enters its most dangerous phase yet, the international community is scrambling to mediate a peaceful resolution. While the United States, France, and other global powers have called for a ceasefire, neither Israel nor Hezbollah appears ready to halt their respective offensives.
The Lebanese government estimates that more than 600 people have been killed and thousands wounded in the first three days of fighting, with the death toll expected to rise as airstrikes and retaliatory rocket fire continue unabated.
The international community, particularly humanitarian organizations, has expressed growing concern over the civilian casualties and the rapidly worsening displacement crisis. With no clear end in sight, both Israel and Hezbollah seem poised to escalate their military campaigns, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
As Lebanese citizens brace for more violence, the ongoing conflict risks pushing an already fragile country closer to the brink of collapse. Both sides show no signs of backing down, and with Hezbollah’s retaliatory rocket fire and Israel’s continued airstrikes, the region faces an uncertain and perilous future.
