Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the al-Hoch area, on the outskirts of Sour in Southern Lebanon, Oct. 31, 2024. (Credit: Kawnat Haju / AFP)
For the first time, the Israeli army called for the evacuation of a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday. People in the Rachidiyeh camp were asked to leave in a statement by the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee. It comes after the Israeli army targeted Palestinian leaders in recent months, particularly in the Ain al-Helweh camp near Saida.
The southern Lebanese villages of Hoch, Bazouriyeh, Bourhoulieh, Bastiyat, al-Homeiri, Arzeh, Matriyet Shoumar, Kharayeb, and Ansar, were also called to evacuate. Shortly after, no fewer than eight strikes hit buildings in al-Hoch, near Sour, according to our correspondent, Mountasser Abdallah. A violent strike hit Arzeh (Saida), resulting in five deaths and several injuries.
Rescue workers killed in Sour
Four new rescuers lost their lives in Israeli strikes on Derdghaya, Sour. The four died in a direct strike on a center belonging to Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Committee, while others narrowly escaped death when their vehicle was targeted in Salaa. Two additional drone strikes took place in Sour near the city's archaeological sites, our Correspondent Muntasser Abdallah added. The first strike targeted members of Hezbollah’s Civil Defense Health Committee, and the second hit rescuers attempting to help them.
An Israeli fighter jet later fired two missiles at Hezbollah Civil Defense members and rescuers affiliated with the Union of Bint Jbeil Municipalities, near the Delbani Cafe along Sour's coastal promenade, according to our correspondent. Additionally, a strike on an ambulance belonging to the Islamic Mission Scout rescuers, affiliated with the Shiite movement Amal, killed one person and injured two others in Deir Zahrani (Zahrani district).
A targeted drone strike also hit a motorbike on the road connecting Sour to Naqoura, killing one person, our correspondent reported.
Fighting in Khiam
The village of Loubieh (Saida) was struck by the Israeli army, with additional raids reported in Jibbeen and Tayr Harfa, as well as Maaroub and Mjadel (Sour district) and in the town of Bint Jbeil (Bint Jbeil district).
Elsewhere, fierce clashes erupted east of the town of Khiam in the Marjayoun district. An Israeli force attempted to advance and enter the area but was confronted by Hezbollah fighters, who claimed to have launched several strikes against them and nearby Israeli towns. According to informed sources, Israeli soldiers fell into an ambush on the eastern side of the village near Khiam prison, with some reportedly injured.
Deadly Raids in Baalbeck and the Bekaa
The Israeli army also launched intense attacks on the Bekaa and Baalbeck. Violent raids targeted Douris (Baalbeck), the city of Baalbeck, and Ain Bourday, about three hours after the army called for evacuations, according to our correspondent in the region, Sarah Abdallah. At least six people were killed in a strike on Makneh (Hermel) and six others injured. In Kayal, in the Bekaa, the raids left one dead and six injured. The villages of Younine (Baalbeck) and the areas around Eiat in the Bekaa were also targeted.
Around noon on Thursday, the Israeli army called on the residents of Baalbeck, Ain Bourday, and Douris to “evacuate immediately” in preparation for strikes on the area. “You are in a combat zone where the (Israeli) army plans to target Hezbollah infrastructure (...) without aiming to harm you,” wrote spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X, along with an explanatory map. He also urged residents to leave via the following routes: the Baalbeck-Zahle highway, the Baalbeck-Nahle road, and the Baalbeck-Cedars road. On Wednesday, a similar evacuation call was issued to residents of this region, followed by a series of strikes.
For his part, the governor of Baalbeck-Hermel issued a message on X urging residents of Baalbeck and surrounding areas “not to return home today (Thursday)” after two evacuation calls within 24 hours. “The region remains threatened,” wrote Mr. Bachir Khodr. “Shelters have been opened in the Bekaa, and many still have space for you,” he added.
On Thursday morning, a strike on Bodai in the Bekaa killed four people, including a couple and two children, according to our correspondent. Additional rounds of bombing targeted Sohmor in western Bekaa. Haouch al-Sayyed Ali on the Hermel border, as well as the city of Hermel, were also hit by airstrikes, while a new drone strike targeted a car in Qaraoun near the dam on the lake of the same name, with no casualties reported. Earlier, a first strike in Qaraoun had killed one person.
