Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 12 people and wounded 24 others Friday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The strikes targeted the eastern Bekaa Valley and a Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, with the Israeli military saying it had hit “command centers” of Hezbollah and Hamas.
The death toll was unusually high and comes as Israel has carried out near-daily strikes in Lebanon since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in November 2024, and as the United States threatens military action against Iran, a major backer of both Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Strikes
At least 10 people were killed and 24 wounded, including three children, in Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Friday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Emergency crews were fighting fires and searching through rubble at one of the targeted sites, which local television footage showed appeared to be an apartment building.
Earlier that day, an Israeli strike hit the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the port city of Sidon, killing two people.
The Israeli military said the Bekaa Valley strikes targeted “command centers” of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. It said the strike on the Sidon camp hit a Hamas command center. Hezbollah did not immediately issue a statement in response.
Disputed Target Claims
Hamas acknowledged that two of its members were killed in the Sidon strike. The group disputed Israel’s characterization of the target, calling the command-center claim a “flimsy pretext.” Hamas said the building targeted was actually a joint security force facility “made up of various Palestinian factions that is tasked with maintaining security in the camp.”
Pattern Since Ceasefire
These strikes are part of Israel’s near-daily military operations in Lebanon since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in November 2024. Israel has accused Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild after the ceasefire and says the strikes target Hezbollah militants and facilities. Hezbollah has claimed one strike against Israel since the ceasefire began.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, sparking the war in Gaza. In response, Hezbollah fired rockets from Lebanon into Israel in support of Hamas and the Palestinians. This low-level conflict escalated to full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah by September 2024, before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect two months later in November.
Regional Tensions
Friday’s death toll was unusually high amid intensified regional tensions. The United States has threatened military strikes against Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas, if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program fail to reach agreement. During a previous Israel-Iran conflict last year, Hezbollah remained on the sidelines, but observers in Lebanon worry that pattern could change if another broader regional war breaks out.