Deadly Israeli Airstrikes Target Hezbollah in Eastern Lebanon
At least ten individuals have been confirmed dead and approximately fifty others wounded following a series of Israeli military strikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, according to two security sources who spoke to Reuters. These strikes, occurring on Friday, February 20, 2026, represent some of the most lethal attacks reported in eastern Lebanon in recent weeks and pose a significant threat to an already strained US-mediated ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Targeting Hezbollah Command Centers
In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared they had struck Hezbollah command centers in the Baalbek area. The IDF asserted these facilities were being utilized to advance terrorist attacks against Israeli troops and territory. Furthermore, the military claimed that weapons and funds employed by Hezbollah were stored within these centers, constituting a direct violation of the established understandings between the two parties.
Security sources have indicated that among the deceased is a senior Hezbollah official, though the militant group has not issued an immediate comment regarding the incident. The strikes in the Bekaa Valley follow separate Israeli military action earlier the same day, where the IDF reported targeting a Hamas command center in the densely populated Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, in southern Lebanon.
Escalation Amid Fragile Ceasefire
The recent airstrikes are part of an ongoing Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah, which has seen frequent attacks as Israel contends the group continues to rebuild its military capabilities in defiance of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement. This truce was brokered by the United States after more than a year of conflict along the border, including a two-month period of open warfare.
During that open conflict, the IDF conducted a ground operation in southern Lebanon with the stated objective of enabling the safe return of approximately 60,000 displaced residents from northern Israel. The ground invasion, launched in September 2024, reportedly inflicted significant damage on Hezbollah's leadership structure and degraded its military assets.
Post-Ceasefire Violations and Strategic Withdrawals
Under the terms of the US-brokered agreement, both Israel and Hezbollah were required to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon, to be replaced by the Lebanese armed forces. Reports indicate Israel has vacated all but five strategic posts along the border. Since the ceasefire took effect, the IDF claims to have eliminated over 400 Hezbollah operatives and members of allied terror groups through targeted strikes.
The Israeli military further states it has conducted strikes on hundreds of Hezbollah sites and executed more than 1,200 raids and smaller-scale operations within southern Lebanon since the cessation of open hostilities. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel ignited on October 8, 2023, one day after Hamas's invasion of southern Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
