Bekaa Valley Comes Under Fire as Israeli Campaign Expands Beyond Southern Lebanon

The scope of Israeli military operations widened on Friday to encompass the Bekaa Valley, marking a significant expansion of the campaign that has intensified considerably across southern Lebanon. The development signals a shift toward broader military engagement, even as diplomatic initiatives continue attempting to secure a ceasefire.

Initial reports indicate that two individuals were killed and several others sustained injuries in strikes targeting the Baalbek area, with casualty figures still being assessed. Israeli warplanes conducted two separate operations in the vicinity of Baalbek, according to field correspondents. The first struck an agricultural zone in Al-Jamaliyya to the north of the city, while a second attack hit a structure in Ain Burdai, situated south of Baalbek, using multiple missiles. These strikes resulted in the reported deaths and wounded.

Additional strikes targeted Zalaya in the Western Bekaa region, part of a coordinated sequence of operations affecting multiple locations throughout the valley.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichai Adraee characterized the operations as targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa on the X platform. He attributed the strikes to what he described as "repeated violations of the ceasefire," asserting that the organization continues to prepare and execute attacks against Israeli forces.

The escalation follows one of the most intense bombardment campaigns yet seen in the southern region. Israeli warplanes executed numerous strikes across extensive areas of Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Tuffah on Friday, accompanied by heavy artillery fire that produced casualties and triggered civilian displacement from multiple communities.

The military operations coincided with increasingly inflammatory rhetoric from Israeli officials. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for intensifying the bombing campaign against Lebanon, declaring that "all of Lebanon must be on fire"—a statement that generated considerable regional and international reaction.

The geographic expansion of military operations from the southern zone into the Bekaa occurs amid ongoing international diplomatic efforts to preserve the ceasefire arrangement. Analysts and observers express growing concern that the continued intensification of hostilities on the ground may undermine the political and diplomatic progress achieved thus far, potentially triggering an uncontrolled escalation into a wider conflict.