Deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed 12 amid rising tensions

At least 12 people were killed and 24 others injured , including three children , in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported. Earlier in the day, two more people were killed in an Israeli strike on the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the port city of Sidon .

The Israeli military said its strikes targeted Hezbollah “command centers” in Bekaa Valley, while also hitting a Hamas command center in the Sidon refugee camp. Hamas acknowledged that two of its members were killed but rejected Israel’s claim that a command center was struck, calling it a “flimsy pretext.” The group said the building belonged to a joint Palestinian security force tasked with maintaining safety in the camp.

Local media footage from the Bekaa strike showed an apartment building engulfed in flames, with emergency crews searching the rubble for survivors.

The attacks come amid a history of escalating violence in the region. After the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 , Hezbollah fired rockets from Lebanon in support of Hamas, prompting Israeli airstrikes and shelling. The low-level conflict escalated into full-scale war in September 2024 , later moderated by a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 .

Since then, Israel has conducted near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon , claiming they target Hezbollah militants and facilities , while Hezbollah has launched only one strike against Israel since the ceasefire.

Friday’s strikes represent an unusually high death toll , coming at a time of heightened regional tension. The United States has warned of potential military action against Iran, a key supporter of both Hezbollah and Hamas if negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program fail. Many in Lebanon fear that any renewed conflict could draw the country into a broader war.