Israeli airstrike kills 9, injures 5 in Lebanon’s Baalbek

By Yusuf Alioglu

BEIRUT (AA) – At least nine people were killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on Thursday evening, local media said.

The strike targeted a two-story building in the Shaab neighborhood of Baalbek, the state news agency NNA reported.

Rescuers are searching the rubble of the building for survivors, the broadcaster said.

The Israeli army has intensified its airstrike in Baalbek since Oct. 31, where Israel says Hezbollah holds significant influence.

Baalbek, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a historic city with origins dating back approximately 3,000 years.

Lebanese officials have expressed concerns that Israeli airstrikes in the city could damage its ancient monuments, which have already suffered damage in recent attacks.

Israel has launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip last year.

More than 3,360 people have been killed, over 14,300 injured, and more than 1 million people displaced by Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio