Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 27, Including Women and Children, in Eastern Lebanon

Israeli attacks against the Baalbek-Hermel Province in eastern Lebanon continued into Sunday, with multiple strikes targeting towns and villages across the area. Though the region is considered a Hezbollah stronghold, today’s casualties appear to be entirely civilians.

Final figures are still coming in, but right now the toll is 27 killed and 45 wounded. This, along with attacks elsewhere in Lebanon, bring the number of deaths in the Israeli invasion to over 3,750, per the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, with an additional 15,626 others wounded.

The single largest incident was in the town of Chmistar, which is west of Baalbek. The Israeli attack hit a residential apartment building, killing at least 17 people and wounding over a dozen others. A mother and her four children were reported among those killed.

Five were killed in an Israeli strike on Bodai, just north of Chmistar. Another four were killed in the nearby town of Flawiye, and one more person was killed in Brital, a town further to the east.

Still more injuries were reported in attacks on the towns of Ras al-Ain and Haour Taala. At least one was reported killed in an attack on Zahle, which is in the neighboring Bekaa Province.

Much of the Baalbek-Hermel Province is under an evacuation order from Israel, including the entire city of Baalbek. Though large numbers of people have been displaced, many poorer residents are forced to stay put, as they can’t really afford to flee. Even if they do flee, many of the Israeli attacks are hitting refugees outside the evacuation zones, so they’re not safe anyplace in Lebanon, or in other countries they’ve fled to.