Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in what Israeli officials described as an effort to disrupt the group’s attempts to rebuild its military capabilities.
The strikes, which followed more than 48 hours of relative calm along the Lebanese-Israeli border, marked a sharp escalation as US-brokered negotiations continue between Washington and Beirut over proposals to curb Hezbollah’s armed presence.
Military analysts said the Israeli escalation appeared aimed at sending a forceful message as US envoy Tom Barrack pushes Lebanese authorities to accept a timeline for the group's disarmament under a potential ceasefire framework.
Israeli warplanes struck targets in both the eastern and western mountain ranges of the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Two initial raids hit areas west of Baalbek- Shmistar and Wadi Umm Ali - followed by more strikes southeast of the city.
NNA reported that 12 people were killed in the bombardment, while Reuters confirmed that five of the dead were Hezbollah members. Local media said Syrian nationals were among those killed in strikes near Hermel.
Footage shared online showed plumes of smoke rising from bombed-out sites across the Bekaa. Shrapnel shattered windows at a public high school in Shmistar where students were sitting for state exams, and a revered religious shrine - Maqam al-Nabi Ismail in Brital - was reportedly damaged. Two civilians were wounded.
In its first official response, Hezbollah condemned the airstrikes as a “major escalation” in Israel’s months-long military campaign against Lebanon. The Iran-backed group urged the Lebanese state to “break its futile silence” and called for immediate international intervention, particularly from the United States, to uphold existing ceasefire guarantees.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes were intended as a “clear message” to Hezbollah, accusing the group of attempting to restore its operational capabilities along the border.
In a statement posted on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air raids targeted Hezbollah’s Radwan force in the Bekaa, including training camps and weapons depots.
He added that militants had been conducting live-fire exercises and tactical drills at the sites, which he called a “flagrant violation” of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
According to Adraee, the Radwan unit - tasked in the past with a plan to seize territory in northern Israel - has been attempting to regroup since several of its senior commanders were killed in Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon in September 2024.
In contrast to the Bekaa, the situation along southern Lebanon remained relatively stable on Tuesday, though NNA reported that Israeli troops fired machine guns toward the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and shot at the newly established Blat Hill position overlooking the village of Rmaich.
Retired Lebanese Brig. Gen. Hassan Jouni said the Bekaa raids were part of a “calibrated pressure campaign” tied to the ongoing negotiations.
“The timing of these airstrikes is clearly linked to the back-and-forth between Lebanon and Washington. Israel wants to remind everyone of the current balance of power and signal that military pressure will continue until Hezbollah gives up its weapons,” Jouni told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
He said Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its capabilities had been publicly acknowledged by the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, placing the Lebanese government in a difficult position between appeasing US demands and avoiding internal strife.
Another retired officer, Brigadier General George Nader, warned that Israel’s message was clear: failure to cooperate with US proposals could lead to intensified strikes.
“While some speculate about a ground invasion, I find it unlikely,” Nader told Asharq al-Awsat. “Why would Israel risk soldiers’ lives when it can strike targets from the air with precision drones and jets?”
He cautioned that unless Lebanese officials take a decisive stance, the country could face a more aggressive Israeli air campaign in the coming weeks.
