An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building in Baalbek killed at least four people and wounded six, with rescue teams pulling families from the rubble. The attack comes amid a sharp escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border after Hezbollah launched drones and missiles at Israel. Hezbollah said it struck Israeli forces near Metula in retaliation for strikes on Lebanese towns, while Lebanon's Health Ministry reports at least 50 killed and 335 wounded since the flare-up began. The situation remains fluid with ongoing rescue efforts and further exchanges of fire.
Israeli Strike on Baalbek Residential Building Kills At Least Four Amid Border Escalation
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
An Israeli strike on a four-storey residential building in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek killed at least four people and wounded six on Wednesday, state news agency NNA reported. Rescue teams were working to free families trapped beneath the rubble.
The strike is part of a sharp escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border that began on Monday after Hezbollah launched drones and missiles at Israel. Since then the Iran-aligned Shi'ite group has fired additional rockets and Israel has carried out repeated air strikes across Lebanon and deployed troops to the south.
Hezbollah said it opened fire to avenge the killing of an Iranian commander in strikes attributed to Israel and the United States. On Wednesday the group said its fighters fired a salvo of rockets at a gathering of Israeli forces near the Metula area along the frontier, describing the action as a response to Israeli strikes on dozens of Lebanese towns and neighborhoods, including Beirut's southern suburbs.
The Israeli military warned residents of 16 villages in northern Lebanon to evacuate, saying Hezbollah activity was forcing it to take action and cautioning that anyone near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons would be at risk. NNA also reported several Israeli strikes early on Wednesday, including hits on a hotel and an apartment in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said on Tuesday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 50 people and wounded 335 since the latest escalation began. The situation remains fluid as rescue operations continue and exchanges of fire persist along the border.
Reporting by Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Saad Sayeed
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