Lebanese media reported today, Monday, that there were Israeli raids targeting the town of "Housh Tal Abu Sughya" in the vicinity of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, in a field development considered very dangerous.

Preliminary information indicated that the bombing targeted new warehouses used to store food supplies for carpet institutions on the Addous - Boudai road.

On the other hand, other sources said that the strike, which came by two missiles, targeted a farm in the town of Housh Tal Safia, leading to the fall of a martyr and the injury of another who was transferred to Dar Al-Amal University Hospital.

This bombing that affected Baalbek is the first of its kind since the July war of 2006 on one hand, and since the start of the battles in southern Lebanon against the Israeli enemy last October.

For its part, the Israeli army announced in a statement the targeting of 3 Hezbollah targets in the Baalbek area, 98 kilometers away from Al-Mutilla.

It is worth mentioning that Israeli aircraft launched intensive raids on Monday, February 19, 2024, on the town of "Al-Ghaziyeh" and the outskirts of the "Ain al-Hilweh" camp near the city of Sidon in Lebanon, where several videos circulated on social media documented the moment of targeting the vicinity of "Al-Ghaziyeh" town.

Earlier, the Israeli occupation army targeted a civilian car with drones north of Sidon, specifically in the "Iqlim al-Kharoub" area, in an escalation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, with the place of targeting being a few kilometers away from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Hezbollah confirmed that the summary of its military operations and attacks hit positions belonging to the Israeli occupation army and its soldiers’ positions in the eastern and western sectors of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah explained in a statement that its members shelled a gathering of Israeli army soldiers around the "Al-Marj site," in the "Al-Mutilla" settlement, and the "Rweist Al-Alam" site, and shelled the "Zibdin" site with missile weapons, achieving direct hits.

Israeli media announced that sirens sounded in many northern settlements on the border with Lebanon.

For his part, Adnan Mansour, former Lebanese Foreign Minister, confirmed that the Israeli occupation state's decision to strike the city of Baalbek, which is 100 kilometers away from the Lebanese border, is a serious escalation.

Mansour said in a phone interview with "Cairo News" that this decision means expanding the scope of military operations in the region, which entails political repercussions for the Israeli occupation state, especially since the Lebanese resistance will not remain silent, as it said it would confront action with reaction.

Adnan Mansour added that what the Israeli occupation did today was intended to send a message to everyone that it will not be satisfied with the Gaza Strip even if the ceasefire stops, pointing out that Lebanon is facing a new phase of military escalation.

He continued: “Israel wants to go far in its war to include all Lebanese areas, and when it strikes Baalbek, it can hit anywhere, but this does not mean Israel’s hand is free; rather, it faces a response, as mentioned by its Secretary-General, who has stated several times that any military action will be met with a similar military action.”

Meanwhile, Khaled Hamada, a military and strategic expert, stated that the Lebanese interior is vulnerable to Israeli attacks, especially after the strike on the city of Baalbek, which means the war has entered a new phase.

Hamada said in a phone interview with "Cairo News" that the Lebanese borders, specifically the Bekaa region in southern Lebanon, are a human reservoir for Hezbollah and a spot for the concentration of infrastructure and their private warehouses.

The military expert added that Lebanon has entered an executive stage of conflict, which is the war phase, confirming what Israeli officials said, that the cessation of military operations in the Gaza Strip does not mean the cessation of operations in Lebanon.

Khaled Hamada continued: “The Americans are working to ease the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip regardless of its conditions, to achieve the primary political goal of the Israeli war on Lebanon, or of the American war with Israeli military units, which is to fix a stability equation for the occupied entity.”