White smoke rises after an Israeli strike on the Bekaa Valley, Feb. 20, 2026. (Credit: Sarah Abdallah)
SOUTH LEBANON — Israeli strikes on the Bekaa and the Ain al-Hilweh camp killed more than 12 in Lebanon on Friday.
In the Baalbeck region, among those killed was a Hezbollah commander, Hussein Mohammad Yaghi, son of a party founder.
The Israeli army said it had targeted Hezbollah “headquarters” in this area, while some Israeli media, including Maariv, reported that the attacks were carried out from ships.
In the evening, Israeli warplanes unleashed a barrage in the Bekaa, conducting six strikes in a matter of minutes: three on the Shaara area and three on Bidnayel, Timnin, and a building on the Rayak-Baalbeck road, according to our correspondent in the region.
According to the Health Ministry, the bombardments killed 10 and injured 24, including three children.
Heavy damage was reported at the strike sites, where civil defense teams were mobilized to search for survivors.
The Israeli army said it had targeted Hezbollah “headquarters.”
Among the victims, Hussein Yaghi, son of former Hezbollah official Mohammad Hassan Yaghi, was killed in the strikes.
Mohammad Hassan Yaghi, known as "Abu Salim," was one of Hezbollah's founders in 1982 and the executive assistant to Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah leader, who was killed in September 2024.
“Abu Salim” had also served in the Lebanese parliament. Ali Zeid Moussawi, a Hezbollah member, was also killed in the strikes, according to information from our correspondent.
According to the Israeli media outlet Maariv, the strikes on the Baalbeck region were carried out with sea-to-land missiles in order to demonstrate that “the Israeli military is capable of striking anywhere in the Middle East and not just with its strategic branch, the air force.”
This is a pointed message, as tensions continue to run high between Iran, Hezbollah’s backer, and the United States and Israel.
'Hamas elements'
Earlier in the day, the Ain al-Hilweh camp was targeted by the Israeli air force in a drone strike that killed two people.
A drone hit a building in the camp in the middle of the afternoon in the Hittin neighborhood near Darb al-Sim, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The targeted house had previously been an office of the joint Palestinian security force — responsible for ensuring safety and stability in the Ain al-Hilweh camp — in the Hittin neighborhood.
The location is regularly frequented by Hamas, as well as by Islamic Jihad and other organizations.
The three strikes killed at least two people, a toll later confirmed by the Health Ministry.
The Israeli army claimed the strike, stating it had attacked a “command post where Hamas elements were present” in Ain al-Hilweh, in a message posted on the X platform by its former Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee.
Both Hamas and Fatah condemned the attack in separate statements; the strike occurred an hour before iftar, at the beginning of Ramadan.
“We call for unity and solidarity in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon to thwart the occupier’s plans,” said Riyad Abu al-Ainain, secretary general of Fatah’s local branch.
“Where are the guarantors of the cease-fire agreement? Where is the international community? Why does it remain silent?” asked Abdallah al-Danan, an official with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Lebanon (PFLP), in remarks to our correspondent in the South.
Hamas revealed the names of the two killed: Bilal Dib al-Khatib and Mohammad Tarek al-Sawi.
The most recent Israeli strike on the largest Palestinian refugee camp dates back to last Nov. 18. It killed 13 youths aged 16 and 17.
Before these two attacks, another Israeli military drone fired two missiles at dawn at a rock quarry on the outskirts of Markaba (Marjayoun district), causing material damage.
Another Israeli military drone dropped a stun grenade near Houla, in the same district. East of the village, a Merkava tank advanced to the Dawawir sector and took position. Israeli soldiers also opened fire with a machine gun toward Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district).
Despite the cease-fire, Israel continues to conduct near-daily strikes, particularly in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
At the same time, the Lebanese army is pressing on with its plan to disarm militias, mainly Hezbollah.
Reporting by our regional correspondents, Muntasser Abdallah. and Sarah Abdallah.
