Israel launches strikes on Hizbollah targets in north-east Lebanon

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Israel has launched air strikes near the northeastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, in the deepest attack into Lebanese territory since its war in Gaza triggered renewed hostilities with the Hizbollah militant group.

Israel’s military on Monday said it had struck targets “used by Hizbollah’s aerial defence array” in the Bekaa Valley in response to the launch of surface-to-air missiles. Hizbollah said two of its fighters were killed.

The incidents are part of an increase in crossfire between Israel’s military and Hizbollah, which have engaged in tit-for-tat attacks since Hamas militants in Gaza mounted a cross-border raid on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. 

More than 200 fighters and about 30 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, according to a tally by the Financial Times. Seven Israeli civilians and 11 soldiers have been killed by Hizbollah fire since October, according to the Israeli military.

The cross-border strikes had mostly focused on a limited band of territory a couple of dozen kilometres into each country. But Israel has widened its targets in recent weeks, striking a town 60km inland of the coastal city of Sidon as well as Jadra, a city just 30km south of the capital Beirut.

Israel’s attack on Monday targeted an area about 100km from its border with Lebanon. The strikes hit the village of Buday, about 18km from Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, where Hizbollah holds significant sway. Citing security officials, local media channels reported that several strikes hit a convoy of trucks and a food warehouse. 

The strikes came hours after Hizbollah said its fighters had shot down an Israeli Hermes-450 drone over areas…