There are still hopes for a ceasefire in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, but the death toll continues to rise as large numbers of airstrikes continue across that nation. Nowhere is this more starkly apparent than in eastern Lebanon, in the vicinity of the city of Baalbek.
So far today, Governor Bachir Khodr reported at least 47 people were killed and 22 wounded in the Baalbek-Hermel province. The governor noted rescue workers were still out searching several areas, so these figures are almost certain to rise.
While such high tolls in a single region usually come after one high-casualty attack, that doesn’t appear to be the case in Baalbek. Rather, the death toll comes from dozens of small attacks on small towns and villages, killing a few people here and there.
For instance, the town of Maqne, immediately north of Baalbek, saw six people killed according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Just to the west of Maqne is the town of Younine, where an Israeli attack on a house killed four members of a single family.
The city of Baalbek is under an evacuation order by Israel, as is much of the surrounding area. The eastern Bekaa Valley, including Baalbek, are seen as Hezbollah hot spots in Lebanon, as they have a substantial presence in the area.
Over a million people have been displaced across Lebanon, with a large number of those fleeing this province. Baalbek isn’t empty, however, as many residents are too poor to leave outright but are trying to find shelter wherever they can.
People from small villages that have been getting pounded are also trying to shelter in Baalbek itself, with one convent reporting they had taken in some 200 people from the village of Boudai. Those running the convent fear that they may become a target of Israel themselves. With repeated strikes on places housing refugees, that seems a very realistic fear.