An Israeli strike destroyed a four-storey residential building in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, killing at least four people and injuring six others, the state news agency NNA reported on March 4. Rescue crews were at the scene, attempting to remove families trapped beneath the rubble.
The attack was one episode in a marked escalation of hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border that began on Monday. The escalation followed a round of strikes and counterstrikes after Hezbollah launched drones and missiles into Israel. In the days since, the Iran-aligned group has fired additional rockets and Israel has conducted multiple waves of air strikes across Lebanon while deploying troops into the south.
Hezbollah, which the article reports was established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, said it opened fire on Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in joint strikes by Israel and the United States. The group also stated on Wednesday that its fighters had launched a salvo of rockets at a gathering of Israeli forces near the Metula area along the frontier, framing this action as a response to Israeli strikes on dozens of Lebanese towns and cities, including Beirut's southern suburbs.
On Wednesday the Israeli military warned residents of 16 villages in Lebanon to evacuate, saying that Hezbollah activity compelled it to take action against the group. The military cautioned that anyone in proximity to Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons would be placing their lives at risk.
State news agency NNA additionally reported several Israeli strikes early on Wednesday, mentioning an attack on a hotel and another strike on an apartment in eastern Lebanon. Separately, Lebanon's health ministry stated on Tuesday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 50 people and wounded 335 since the most recent escalation began.
Rescue efforts in Baalbek continued amid concerns about additional strikes and further cross-border exchanges of fire. The available reports describe an intensifying cycle of attacks and counterattacks, with both military action and civilian harm noted in the official counts and statements quoted by local agencies.