BEIRUT, May 26 : An Israeli airstrike on the Bekaa Valley village of Mashghara late Monday killed 12 people, Lebanon’s state news agency reported on Tuesday, as an Israeli official said additional troops had been called up to the northern front.
Rescue teams recovered a dozen bodies from rubble after an intense wave of overnight strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in eastern Lebanon, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had authorised more intensive strikes against the group.
An Israeli security official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the call‑up of an additional battalion to Lebanon. The escalation comes three days before scheduled direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations in Washington.
Hezbollah has continued attacks on Israeli forces and northern towns, claiming the use of new fibre‑optic drones that have challenged Israeli defenses. The group says it will keep fighting until Israel halts daily airstrikes and withdraws troops.
The intensified strikes have stoked fears in Lebanon of a wider war and prompted fresh displacement. Lebanese authorities say more than 3,100 people have been killed and over 9,600 wounded in Israeli strikes since the conflict began. Residents in Beirut described growing panic and insecurity as the violence escalates.
