Israeli airstrikes target eastern Lebanon, Hezbollah condemns ‘massacre’
Shafaq News – Beirut (updated 23:40)
Israeli warplanes launched a wave of airstrikes on Monday in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley, killing at least 12 people and injuring 12 others, in one of the deadliest escalations in the region since the November ceasefire.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah positions near the Syrian border, specifically linked to the group’s Radwan Force.
#عاجل 🔸جيش الدفاع بدأ شن غارات تستهدف أهدافًا تابعة لقوة الرضوان التابعة لحزب الله في منطقة البقاع pic.twitter.com/cCkWyHCok5
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 15, 2025
According to Lebanese media, more than 15 strikes were recorded, including attacks on the mountainous outskirts of Buday and Brital in the Anti-Lebanon range, as well as the towns of Nahle and the outskirts of Shmustar, near Baalbek. These areas, unlike Lebanon’s volatile south, have rarely been targeted since the truce took effect.
#عاجل 🔸جيش الدفاع بدأ شن غارات تستهدف أهدافًا تابعة لقوة الرضوان التابعة لحزب الله في منطقة البقاع🔸بدأت طائرات سلاح الجو قبل قليل بتوجيه من هيئة الاستخبارات والقيادة الشمالية بمهاجمة عدة أهداف إرهابية تابعة لحزب الله في منطقة البقاع في لبنان. 🔸في اطار الضربات تم استهداف… pic.twitter.com/jPwjiDIIBI
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 15, 2025
The Israeli military claimed the strikes were aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild offensive capabilities along the northern border. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the operations as a “clear message” to Hezbollah, which he labeled a terrorist organization.
In response, Hezbollah issued a statement condemning what it called a “horrific massacre” committed by “the Zionist enemy [Israel]” in the Wadi Faara region of northern Beqaa, where both Lebanese and Syrian civilians were reportedly killed.
🔴 عاجل | حزب الله: ندين بشدّة المجزرة المروّعة التي ارتكبها العدو الصهيوني اليوم في منطقة وادي فعرا في البقاع الشمالي بحق مواطنين لبنانيين وسوريين
— قناة المنار (@TVManar1) July 15, 2025
“This dangerous aggression marks a major escalation in the ongoing assault on Lebanon and its people,” the group said. It called on the Lebanese state to urgently “place the international community—especially the guarantor states, led by the US—before their responsibilities.”
Hezbollah also criticized the Lebanese government’s continued silence and lack of international engagement, warning that “the absence of an official position and persistent inaction will only lead to further attacks.”
Reaffirming its stance, the group declared, “The Lebanese people of resistance will only grow more steadfast and committed to their national choices. Resistance remains an essential path to confront the enemy and curb its aggression.”
Since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement in November, Lebanon has documented about 4000 Israeli violations, including airstrikes, artillery shelling, and incursions into Lebanese airspace.
