Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of eight Hezbollah members, including local officials, as confirmed by two Hezbollah sources on Saturday. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported a death toll of 10 without specifying between militants and civilians.
The airstrikes near the village of Rayak in northeast Lebanon on Friday claimed the lives of eight militants, according to Hezbollah officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press due to lack of authorization to disclose such information.
An on-site visit by an Associated Press team the following morning revealed significant damage to a three-story building, with the top floor destroyed.
The Israeli military announced that several members of Hezbollah’s missile unit in the Baalbek area were “eliminated.” The army stated that these targeted Hezbollah members were involved in accelerating readiness and force build-up processes while planning attacks on Israel.
Among the deceased, three were identified as local commanders: Ali al-Moussawi, Mohammed al-Moussawi, and Hussein Yaghi. Yaghi, the son of a prominent Hezbollah figure and co-founder Mohammed Yaghi, was among those killed. Mohammed Yaghi, a close aide to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September 2024.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, in addition to the 10 fatalities, 24 individuals were wounded, including three children. The Rayak Hospital’s executive director, Ali Abdullah, reported receiving 10 bodies and 21 wounded individuals. The casualties included two non-Lebanese nationals — a Syrian man and an Ethiopian woman — as well as five Syrians and three Ethiopians among the wounded.
A funeral procession was held in the village of Nabi Sheet for the deceased Hezbollah members on Saturday afternoon. The recent escalation in tensions follows the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, leading to conflict with Gaza. Subsequent rocket fire from Lebanon into Israel in support of Hamas and the Palestinians prompted Israeli airstrikes, escalating into a full-scale war in September 2024.
Since then, Israel has regularly targeted Hezbollah militants and facilities in Lebanon, accusing the group of reconstruction efforts. Hezbollah has also claimed a strike against Israel post-ceasefire. The increased tensions coincide with U.S. threats to strike Iran, a supporter of both Hezbollah and Hamas, if nuclear negotiations fail to reach a resolution.