Beirut: Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley killed two people and injured at least 29 others on Thursday, February 26, amid continued tensions despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre said the dead included a Syrian boy and a woman. The teenager was identified as 16-year-old Hussein Mohsen al-Khalaf.
Health officials reported that nine children were among the wounded, along with eight women. Several of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Strikes hit Baalbek region
The attacks targeted the western Baalbek area, where residents reported hearing multiple explosions. Witnesses said Israeli fighter jets were seen flying at low altitude before and after the strikes, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
In a statement on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried out the operation against eight locations linked to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. According to the military, the sites were being used to store weapons and conduct training.
The IDF alleged that such activities breached the security understandings reached between Israel and Lebanon.
Continued tensions despite ceasefire
The airstrikes come despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024 that aimed to halt more than a year of cross-border fighting linked to the Gaza conflict. Since then, Israeli forces have continued to conduct operations inside Lebanon.
United Nations data indicate that over 300 people have been killed in Lebanon following the ceasefire, including more than 120 civilians.
Recent attacks have also struck other areas. Earlier this month, Israeli strikes killed at least 12 people in the Bekaa Valley and in the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon. Israeli authorities said those operations targeted armed group facilities.
Lebanon appeals to United Nations
Lebanon has raised the issue at the United Nations (UN), accusing Israel of repeated violations of the ceasefire. In a complaint submitted in January, Beirut documented more than 2,000 alleged breaches between October and December 2025.
Lebanese officials have urged the UN Security Council to intervene and press for a full Israeli withdrawal from contested border areas. They also say ongoing military activity has hindered reconstruction and delayed the return of displaced families.
