Israeli strikes kill at least 12 in Lebanon, including senior Hezbollah official

Israeli military strikes across Lebanon on Friday killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens, marking among the deadliest days in the region since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in November 2024.

The strikes targeted two separate areas. In eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, Israeli air attacks killed at least 10 people and wounded 24, including three children, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. A senior Hezbollah official, Hussein Yaghi, was among those killed, Hezbollah confirmed in a statement. Yaghi is the son of former Hezbollah MP Mohamed Yaghi. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday, according to Hezbollah media.

Israel's military said in a statement that it had struck Hezbollah command centers in the Bekaa Valley, alleging the sites constituted "a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon." Local television footage from one strike site showed what appeared to be an apartment building, with emergency crews conducting firefighting and search operations for survivors.

Separately, an Israeli strike hit Ain al-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, located near the port city of Sidon. Two people were killed in that attack. Israel's military said it had struck a Hamas command center in the camp from which militants operated. Hamas acknowledged that two of its members were killed in the strike but disputed Israel's characterization of the target.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that 24 people were wounded in the Bekaa Valley strikes, with casualties distributed across regional hospitals. The National News Agency later updated the preliminary death toll from the Bekaa attack to more than 10, with at least 30 wounded. Search operations for survivors continued at the strike sites.