Dozens killed as Israeli special forces raid Lebanese village in search of 40-year-old remains

Dozens Killed in Israeli Raid on Lebanese Village Amid Escalating Conflict

Israeli military operations in Lebanon have intensified, resulting in the deaths of at least 41 individuals and injuring 40 others. The strikes, part of a broader air and ground campaign, targeted the eastern Bekaa Valley, a region central to recent tensions. The Lebanese health ministry reported the casualties, with three soldiers and several civilians—including children—among the fatalities.

Searching for Missing Airman Sparks Violence

The operation in Nabi Chit aimed to recover the remains of an Israeli airman who vanished in Lebanon four decades ago. Local accounts described a destroyed car with bullet holes, its seats stained with blood. Nearby, a crater had been blasted into the ground, wrecking homes and reducing buildings to rubble. Artifacts like a children’s coloring book and cooking utensils lay scattered among the wreckage.

“They thought he was there but there was nothing,” said a villager, pointing to an empty grave in the cemetery. “The resistance then surrounded them and heavy clashes ensued. Then the air force increased their air strikes to allow the extraction of their unit which caused tremendous damage.”

Hezbollah, the dominant group in the area, permitted journalists to document the aftermath. The Shia militia is designated a terrorist organization by the UK, US, and other nations. Lebanese forces claimed they observed four Israeli aircraft flying near the Syrian border, with two landing to deploy special forces. The military stated it initiated defensive measures, using flare bombs to locate the landing site.

Civilian Casualties and Evacuation Orders

Residents noted that Israeli evacuation orders had swept through the village, with a final call for civilians to leave before the assault. Mohamed Chokr, whose uncle and relatives were killed, described his family as safe due to their non-affiliation with Hezbollah. “We are all in the Lebanese army,” he said, expressing grief over the loss of his uncle and his children.

“How should I feel today? This is my uncle and his kids and their kids,” Chokr added. Another relative, who arrived in a bulldozer to rescue trapped family members, also perished in the crossfire.

Witnesses told the BBC that Israeli soldiers arrived in Lebanese military uniforms, using ambulances marked with Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Organization. The Lebanese army chief later confirmed this to local media, though the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to BBC inquiries. As the community gathered near the crater on Saturday, one man lamented the devastation: “They bombed everything. This is crazy. I think they were surprised by who was here because when they bombed they thought that everyone had evacuated.”