Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut

Beirut, May 26: An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon has killed at least 12 people, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The strike, carried out late Monday in the Bekaa Valley region, comes amid intensified Israeli military operations targeting Hezbollah positions across southern and eastern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier authorised expanded strikes against the Hezbollah militant group, although the Israeli military did not comment specifically on the latest attack. It said its operations were focused on Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon.

Rescue officials said multiple bodies were recovered from rubble following overnight airstrikes that hit several areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The escalation comes ahead of scheduled direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations in Washington later this week, aimed at exploring possible de-escalation measures.

Hezbollah continues to target Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, stating it will not halt operations until Israeli forces withdraw and airstrikes cease.

The conflict has triggered a large-scale humanitarian crisis, with over one million people displaced in Lebanon since the fighting intensified after cross-border rocket attacks began in solidarity with Iran.