Israeli Air Strikes in Lebanon Kill Eight Hizbullah Members

Israeli air strikes on eastern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of eight members of the militant group Hizbullah, as confirmed by various officials. The Lebanese health ministry reported a total of ten fatalities, although it did not specify how many were militants versus civilians. The strikes targeted locations near the village of Rayak late on Friday, with Hizbullah confirming the deaths of its members, including local commanders.

Witnesses reported extensive damage, with the top floor of a three-storey building destroyed during the strikes. An Associated Press team that visited the area on Saturday morning observed the aftermath. The Israeli military stated that the operation eliminated several members of Hizbullah’s missile unit, who were reportedly operating from three separate command centres in the Baalbek region. According to their assessment, these individuals were involved in preparations for potential attacks against Israel.

Hizbullah officials identified three of the deceased as local commanders: Ali al-Moussawi, Mohammed al-Moussawi, and Hussein Yaghi. Yaghi, notably, was the son of a prominent Hizbullah figure and one of its founders, Mohammed Yaghi, who passed away in 2023. The elder Yaghi was also a close confidant of Hizbullah’s late leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who died in an Israeli air strike in 2024.

The Lebanese health ministry reported that the strikes resulted in ten deaths and 24 injuries, among them three children. Ali Abdullah, executive director of Rayak Hospital, indicated that the attack occurred shortly after sunset. The hospital received ten bodies and treated 21 injured individuals. Among the deceased were a Syrian man and an Ethiopian woman, while the injured included five Syrians and three Ethiopians.

The conflict has escalated significantly since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Following that event, Hizbullah began launching rockets into Israel, signaling its support for Hamas and the Palestinian cause. In retaliation, Israel has intensified its air strikes and artillery shelling in Lebanon. The low-level skirmishes escalated into a full-scale conflict in September 2024, although a US-brokered ceasefire brought some temporary relief.

Since the ceasefire, Israel has accused Hizbullah of attempting to rebuild its military capabilities and has conducted near-daily strikes in Lebanon, targeting what it describes as Hizbullah militants and facilities. In contrast, Hizbullah has claimed responsibility for one strike against Israel since the ceasefire was implemented.

The recent air strikes, resulting in such a high death toll, occur against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions. The United States has issued warnings regarding potential strikes on Iran, a key supporter of both Hizbullah and Hamas, should negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program fail to yield a satisfactory agreement.