Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon Kill Civilians, Wound UN Peacekeepers Amid Growing Tensions

Israeli airstrikes continued to devastate southern Lebanon and other regions on Thursday, killing civilians, injuring UN peacekeepers, and causing widespread destruction. The Lebanese army confirmed that an Israeli strike in the southern city of Sidon killed three Lebanese citizens and wounded three soldiers stationed at a nearby checkpoint. The attack also left several UN peacekeepers injured, including at least four Malaysian personnel from the UNIFIL forces.

Sidon has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli warplanes in recent weeks, contributing to growing fears among residents. Meanwhile, overnight raids in the Bekaa Valley destroyed several houses in the village of al-Ain, with Lebanon’s Health Ministry reporting at least 40 fatalities and dozens more injuries in eastern Bekaa and Baalbek since Wednesday. Additional airstrikes across the country claimed 36 more lives.

On Thursday morning, Israeli forces launched attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, including a site near Rafiq Hariri International Airport. The airstrikes followed short-notice evacuation orders issued to residents, citing the presence of Hezbollah facilities in the targeted areas—a claim repeatedly made by Tel Aviv since last October, though Hezbollah has consistently denied the accusations.

In response to Israel’s attacks, Lebanese parliamentarians sent an urgent message to UNESCO, calling for the protection of Lebanon’s cultural heritage sites, such as Baalbek and Tyre, from further destruction. This plea came after Israeli warplanes struck near historical sites, including the UNESCO-listed Roman ruins in Baalbek.

The escalating violence follows Israel’s recent air and ground offensive in Lebanon, with the death toll from Israeli strikes surpassing 3,000 people over the past year—far exceeding the toll from the 2006 Lebanon war. Hezbollah has vowed to continue its retaliatory strikes against Israeli forces and occupied Palestinian territories. On Thursday, the group claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the Yiftah military base and an ambush targeting Israeli troops advancing toward the village of Yaroun, resulting in casualties among the Israeli soldiers.