Israeli strike on southern Lebanon, Feb. 23, 2025. (Credit: Photo obtained by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)
While all eyes were on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, where the funeral of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was taking place, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon and the Hermel and Baalbeck regions in northern Bekaa, according to local correspondents.
The attacks left at least one person injured, a Syrian girl who was in Qleileh (Sour district) and was later hospitalized.
Airstrikes were reported in Qleileh shortly after 9 a.m., according to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah. Another raid hit the Zrarieh area (Saida district), injuring a young Syrian girl, who was transported to the Italian Hospital in Sour. The strikes also damaged homes around the targeted sites.
As the funeral ceremony began, new raids were reported in Tebna (near Baissariyeh, Saida district) and Aaziyyeh (Sour district).
Hermel and Baalbeck
In northern Bekaa, successive airstrikes targeted Hermel, hitting areas such as Brissa and Boudai al-Hafir in the Baalbeck region. No casualties have been reported so far, according to our correspondent Sarah Abdallah.
On X, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, commented on the morning airstrikes in southern Lebanon, stating that a "precision strike" was carried out on a military site where "Hezbollah activities had been detected." He also mentioned that "several Hezbollah rocket launchers, which posed a threat" to Israel, were targeted. Later, the Israeli army reported further strikes on "rocket launch platforms" in the Baalbeck region and southern Lebanon.
In the early evening, Israeli aviation carried out two airstrikes and fired four missiles on Wadi Zebqine, in the Sour district, according to our correspondent. Additionally, flares were fired near Rmeich, in the Bint Jbeil district.
Israel and Its Positions in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday: "We control territories along our northern border inside Lebanon and opposite our villages, and we will continue to do so until the Lebanese Army and government fulfill all their obligations under the agreement," he stated, according to the Israeli media Yediot Aharonot. Netanyahu made these comments during a ceremony for the graduation of Israeli officers.
Israeli aircraft also flew at low altitude over the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, which the Israeli Defense Minister described as a "clear message" to those who threaten Israel. Late Saturday night, Israeli fighter jets struck in Syrian territory near the Lebanon border, in the Janta area of the Bekaa Valley. The army stated that it targeted Hezbollah's weapons smuggling routes.
According to the terms of the cease-fire agreement concluded between Lebanon and Israel on Nov. 27, 2024, following more than 13 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, during which over 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from the south by Jan. 26.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army was to ensure there was no armed Hezbollah presence south of the Litani River. Negotiated by the United States, the agreement was extended until Feb. 18, after Israel claimed that the Lebanese government had not fully implemented it, citing delays in the Lebanese army's deployment.
Since the deadline for the cease-fire agreement expired, the Israeli military has maintained its presence at seven locations in southern Lebanon and has carried out airstrikes in various parts of the country. These bombings have resulted in one death to date.
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