Israel has carried out fresh air strikes in eastern Lebanon, killing at least four people in the city of Baalbek as cross-border fighting with Hezbollah intensifies.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported on March 4 that an Israeli strike hit a four-storey residential building in Baalbek, leaving four dead and six others wounded. Rescue workers were still searching through the rubble for survivors.
The attack comes amid a sharp escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border that began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched drones and missiles toward Israel. Since then, both sides have exchanged repeated fire.
On March 4, Hezbollah said its fighters fired a salvo of rockets at a gathering of Israeli troops near the Metula area along the frontier. The group said the attack was in response to Israeli strikes on dozens of Lebanese towns and cities, including Beirut’s southern suburbs.
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The Israeli military warned residents of 16 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate, saying Hezbollah operations in the area were forcing it to act. It cautioned that anyone near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons would be putting their lives at risk.
NNA also reported additional Israeli strikes early on March 4, including one that hit a hotel and another that struck an apartment building in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on March 3 that at least 50 people had been killed and 335 wounded since the latest escalation began.
The renewed violence marks one of the most serious flare-ups along the border in recent months, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.