Carnage in Lebanon: Rising Tensions and Humanitarian Crisis

Lebanese authorities have reported a death toll of at least 45 from Israeli airstrikes targeting the country's northeast. The intensified bombings, largely affecting rural villages, have caused significant displacement, with 60,000 people fleeing their homes as the conflict escalates amid diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.

The death toll in Lebanon has risen to at least 45 as Israeli airstrikes ravaged the country's northeast, specifically targeting rural villages that were previously spared the full force of Israel's ongoing campaign against Hezbollah. Bachir Khodr, the governor of Baalbek, confirmed on Friday that airstrikes on nine villages resulted in 41 additional casualties, surpassing initial reports by the National News Agency.

Lebanon's National News Agency further reported four more deaths in the farming village of Ollak in the Bekaa Valley, underscoring the crisis unfolding in this rural expanse. The latest surge in violence comes amid efforts by the Biden administration to secure temporary ceasefire agreements, even as Israel intensifies its assault on Hamas fighters in Gaza.

In the Lebanese capital, airstrikes hit Dahiyeh, a southern suburb, for the first time in days, reigniting panic and forcing evacuations. Bulldozers navigate through the destruction, with residents evacuating after receiving warnings of further attacks targeting Hezbollah's weapons sites. Amid this turmoil, the larger context of cross-border aggression continues to displace many within the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)