Lebanon says Israeli strikes killed at least 60

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An intense wave of Israeli bombardment late on Monday killed at least 60 people and wounded dozens in eastern Lebanon, the health ministry in Beirut has said.

The strikes hit the north-eastern district of Baalbek, which is home to ancient Roman ruins, as well as about a dozen towns and villages in the wider Bekaa Valley. The deadliest strike occurred in Sahl Allak in the Baalbek district, where 16 people died, the ministry said.

Hizbollah holds sway over many of the areas targeted on Monday, which have come under frequent fire from Israel’s military in recent weeks.

In a post on X, Baalbek governor Bachir Khodr said it was the “most violent day” the area had experienced since the start of the hostilities, adding that at least 15 people were still under rubble that rescue workers had yet to reach.

Lebanese authorities said the death toll from weeks of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah had risen to 2,710.

The vast majority of casualties have occurred in the past month as Israel intensified its campaign against the Iran-backed militant group, destroying swaths of southern Lebanon, killing its senior leadership and launching a ground invasion.