Huge Israeli airstrikes rocked Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek on Wednesday, nearly 70km northeast of Beirut, after Israel warned some 80,000 residents to evacuate.

It was the first such call to evacuate on such a large scale from Israel’s military (IDF) in this location (and so far north, significantly away from frontlines in southern Lebanon) since the war began, and main roads out of the city have been jammed and chaotic throughout the day.

“The city is almost empty,” an AFP correspondent described soon after the evacuation warning. Prior bombings in the same area (Bekaa Valley) left at least 60 people dead on Monday.

Baalbek is considered by many “the most magnificent temple city in the world” for its intact Roman-era temples. Anadolu Agency

The IDF published a map alongside the warning to evacuate which included the entire extended city situated in the eastern Bekaa Valley – long known as a Hezbollah stronghold.

“The (Israeli army) will act forcefully against Hezbollah interests within your city and villages,” an Israeli military spokesman said on X.

The fresh Wednesday air raids on Baalbek, an ancient city and UNESCO site with many Roman ruins, began within just minutes after newly named Hezbollah chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem, started speaking in his first address as the Iran-backed paramilitary group’s Secretary-General.

Qassem’s theme for the speech focused on readiness of the group to keeping the fight going so long as Israel is on Lebanese territory. “Final victory will be ours,” he proclaimed as part of the nearly hour-long pre-recorded video speech from an undisclosed location.

He spoke in front of a large image of his assassinated predecessor Hassan Nasrallah who had for decades been the much more recognizable face of Hezbollah behind him.

Importantly, after the many serious losses and setbacks for the group going back to the mass pager attack of September, and Israel soon after taking out Nasrallah and his number two leader Hashem Safieddine along with top officers, new Secretary-General Qassem is now vowing “we can keep fighting for days, weeks and months.”

Huge fireball from Israeli strike seen over Baalbek:

⚡️From the enemy’s strikes on Baalbek pic.twitter.com/qHIU8K8TRi

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 30, 2024

According to more from the speech:

Qassem said Nasrallah was like a brother to him, and assassinated leader Hashem Safieddine was a man upon whom Nasrallah could heavily rely on. He described killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar as “an icon of heroism and Palestinian resistance and the free people of the world”.

Qassem vowed that under his leadership, Hezbollah will continue the work of Nasrallah and keep fighting a war with Israel while following the same political path. “Helping Gaza is our duty and we will defend it to counter the Israeli threat for the entire region.”

As for the ongoing strikes on a large area of Baalbek, one regional reporter has called it a “kill zone”.

“This is a significant chunk of Baalbek that has been put under these evacuation orders and let’s call evacuation orders what they are. They’re effectively a kill zone – if you remain behind, Israel says that you are a fair target,” an AJ journalist base in Beirut writes.

⚡️Powerful enemy strikes on Baalbak pic.twitter.com/wKyOOtvuOs

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 30, 2024

“Now, that despite the fact that Israel does have under international humanitarian law a responsibility to any civilians left behind after they give those orders, but people are taking them seriously,” he continues.

Southern Lebanon has also remained scene of heavy ground finding amid the IDF ground offensive, with 15 Lebanese reported killed on attacks in Sarafand and Haret Saida near Sidon city.

Lebanese authorities does not distinguish between identifying combatants and civilians when it publishes casualties. Since the war’s start, Israel says that 33 of its soldiers have been killed in Lebanon.