Civilians Killed As Israel Targets Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli forces have intensified strikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, resulting in civilian casualties and raising concerns of an escalating conflict as the death toll continues to climb.
The Israeli military has confirmed recent airstrikes on what it described as Hezbollah-affiliated sites in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
The Bekaa Valley, bordered by mountain ranges to the east and west, lies close to Syria. Israeli military claims that the location has significant arsenal stores and a conduit used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah. However, civilians have actually been targeted in the attacks, with a funeral held for 15 family members killed in the latest airstrikes.
Lara Bitar, editor-in-chief of Beirut-based publication The Public Source, criticized the airstrikes as indiscriminate, describing the attacks as an attempt to "terrorize the Lebanese population into submission." According to Bitar, these assaults target not only Hezbollah strongholds but also civilian areas throughout Lebanon, including the Chouf and the southern regions.
Bitar suggested that the bombings are designed to pressure Hezbollah into abandoning its support for Gaza, where Palestinians have faced ongoing violence. “This is intended to terrorize the Lebanese population into submission,” Bitar told Al Jazeera. "Over the past two weeks, ambulances and roads to hospitals have been targeted, which could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe."
Elijah Magnier, a military and security analyst based in Brussels, echoed Bitar’s concerns, stating that the Israeli military's operations in both Lebanon and Gaza make no distinction between civilian and militant targets. "What happened today in Beirut is, for the Israelis, business as usual," Magnier remarked. He argued that Israel’s strategy of targeting civilian infrastructure is intended to demoralize the population and turn them against their leaders.
Despite the widespread destruction, Magnier believes this approach will fail to weaken Hezbollah’s support base. "It doesn’t work in Lebanon. It doesn’t work in Gaza. Because the resistance is part of the population," he said.
With several buildings reduced to rubble, Magnier predicted that the conflict will escalate further. "This is the beginning of a very long war and a large killing," he warned.
