Name: Lebanon’s ancient city of Baalbek on edge as Israel threatens escalation
Uploaded: 2025-11-05T15:09:11.302Z
Duration: 2 min 34 s
Description: Israel has carried out regular attacks on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed with Hezbollah last November.

Israel has carried out regular attacks on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed with Hezbollah last November.

Baalbek

The U.S-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages.

Middle East Conflict

The historic city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, known for its Roman ruins and as a Hezbollah stronghold, remains tense as Israel threatens to escalate military action. Nearly a year after a ceasefire, Israeli strikes continue to target the area, which is home to both Hezbollah infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Local residents express fear and uncertainty, with many opposing any negotiations that would require Hezbollah to disarm. The Lebanese government faces pressure from Israel and the United States to address the situation, while Hezbollah insists it will not lay down its arms, citing ongoing threats and the need for protection.

Lebanon’s ancient city of Baalbek on edge as Israel threatens escalation

There is little sign of war in this historic quarter of Baalbek. This time last year, this ancient city was under attack. Known for its Roman ruins, Baalbek in eastern Lebanon is considered part of Hezbollah's heartland in the Bekaa Valley. Israel launched a war against the group, but nearly a year into a ceasefire, the conflict is not over. What's happening now isn't short of a war. It's war. What more can we expect to happen? Israel regularly targets these hills overlooking the city. It says it is hitting strategic infrastructure in an area it describes as Hezbollah's logistical and operational base. Strikes also kill the group's personnel nearly daily. But Hezbollah's strongholds are also home to hundreds of thousands of people. There are those who are portraying the situation in Baalbek in a bad light, especially recently there was so much talk about targeting Baalbek and this is scaring people away. Much has already been destroyed in one of the poorest regions in Lebanon. Israel is accusing Hezbollah of rearming and also accusing the Lebanese government of dragging its feet in its commitment to disarm the group. In the words of U.S. envoy Tom Barak, time is running out. Israel is now threatening to increase its military attacks. For people here, it means living under threat. Hussein Osman was not among those who left when the Israeli army ordered the city's population to flee during the war last year. Like Hezbollah and its supporters, Hussein is questioning the state's decision to negotiate with Israel. With the possibility of renewed conflict, President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon has no other choice. We would support any negotiation that works for the benefit of the resistance, but any negotiation that involves disarming the resistance is not accepted. These weapons protected us and allowed us to stay in our homes. People here don't trust Israel. They say the state should focus on forcing Israel to respect the existing ceasefire agreement by stopping attacks and withdrawing from land along Lebanon's southern border. Hezbollah's message to Israel and the Lebanese government is it won't disarm. The risk now is Israel will negotiate under fire to impose its conditions. Zainal Khudair al-Jazeera, Baalbek.

Typhoon Kalmaegi left a trail of destruction in the central Philippines, as the powerful storm unleashed heavy rains and floods across Visayas islands region. It's now headed towards the South China Sea and Vietnam where preparations are underway ahead of its expected landfall.

Visayas

Deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi lashes Philippines, heads towards Vietnam

Zohran Mamdani has been elected as New York City's mayor, defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in a historic election with over 2 million votes cast.

New York

Mamdani defeats Cuomo to become New York City's mayor

A centuries-old legislative practice in the U.S Senate is being blamed as the latest roadblock in resolving the federal government shutdown. That shutdown is now in its 35th day—equaling the longest in the country's history.

Washington

Filibuster blamed for deepening U.S government shutdown

Injuries have been reported after a UPS plane crashed near the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday, officials said.

Louisville

UPS plane crashes near airport in Kentucky, officials say

The U.S. Senate's 14th vote on a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government has failed, setting up the shutdown to become the longest ever in American history.

Senate vote fails again to reopen government

A new UN report reviews the gap between countries’ climate commitments and global emissions targets.

UN report reveals climate pledges 'barely moving the needle'

Peru has severed diplomatic relations with Mexico after learning that former prime minister Betssy Chávez, accused of helping ex-president Pedro Castillo attempt a coup in 2022, has taken refuge in the Mexican embassy in Lima.

Lima

Peru cuts ties with Mexico over asylum for ex-prime minister

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84. He was a major force in the Republican party for more than 30 years and served as vice president under former President George W. Bush.

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84

There has been a sharp escalation in bloodshed in the conflict since Rapid Support Forces fighters captured the city of al-Fashir.

Al Fashir

United States working to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan

The Trump administration says it will restart the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but will only pay half the amount people usually get. The move comes after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the U.S.'s biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful.

Trump administration will partially restore food benefit funding

Manufacturing giant Kimberly-Clark is set to acquire Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, for $48.7 billion. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady has more details.

Kimberly-Clark to buy Tylenol maker Kenvue for nearly $50 billion

Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.

Pokrovsk

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine sends special forces to Pokrovsk

Israeli police have arrested a former military prosecutor after she leaked a video appearing to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee. Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was detained overnight on Monday following a scandal that erupted after she leaked a video, resigned and then disappeared.

Jerusalem

Israel arrests ex-army lawyer over leaked video showing abuse

U.S. President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes he thinks Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's days are numbered amid the U.S. striking another boat in the Caribbean allegedly transporting drugs.

Trump sounds off on Venezuela's Maduro as deadly boat strikes continue

A mayor in Mexico's western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said. Local politicians in Mexico are frequently victims of political and organized crime violence.

Michoacán

Mexican mayor killed during Day of the Dead celebrations

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city's historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise.

Mazar-i-Sharif

Deadly earthquake rocks northern Afghanistan

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Los Angeles Dodgers' victory parade on Monday after they won the World Series over the weekend. The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings in Game 7 to become the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back World Series.

Los Angeles

Dodgers to hold championship parade after World Series victory

A 32-year-old man suspected of carrying out a bloody stabbing on a United Kingdom train is facing at least 10 criminal charges. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio has the latest.

London

UK train stabbing spree suspect faces attempted murder charges

Hamas handed over bodies of three hostages on Sunday (November 2), even as the Palestinian militant group traded blame with Israel for violations of the tenuous truce that has mostly halted two years of war.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Hamas hands over three more hostage bodies amid fragile ceasefire

Israel has threatened to increase attacks on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese government doesn't disarm the militant group, despite a ceasefire.

Israel warns of intensified strikes on Hezbollah if disarmament fails

U.S President Donald Trump has long promised to build a ballroom on the White House campus.
He originally said it wouldn’t touch the existing structure. But after just four days, the East Wing is gone. Torn down to make way for a much bigger ballroom than originally planned.

Trump’s $300m White House ballroom project sparks controversy

Two more suspects, a man and a woman arrested this week over the jewel heist at the Louvre, have been charged and remanded in custody, prosecutors have said. The charges on Saturday brought the number of people now charged over the spectacular robbery to four.

Paris

Two more charged over Louvre jewelry heist

British police say eleven people were injured, most of them seriously, in a mass stabbing on a London-bound train Saturday evening. Authorities have arrested two British-born men and are investigating their motive in the incident.

UK police rule out terrorism after mass stabbing on train

Egypt has officially opened the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the world's largest museum dedicated to an ancient civilization. The new museum features tens of thousands of artifacts, including the full collection from King Tutankhamen's tomb.

Cairo

Grand Egyptian Museum opens after two decades of construction

Voters in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and California have already hit the polls for early voting before election day on Nov. 4. CBS News producer Jared Ochacher is following the New York City mayoral race.

Mamdani commands double-digit lead over opponents in NYC mayoral race

The two-day APEC summit in South Korea has wrapped up with President Lee Jae Myung handing over hosting duties to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced the southern city of Shenzhen as the site for next year's summit.

Seoul

Rise of AI

Global Tariffs

APEC summit ends, Trump and Xi reach truce in trade war

When a US aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean next week, there will be 14,500 American troops in and around Puerto Rico. The Trump administration says it's aimed at curbing drug trafficking. But many fear something much bigger to come.

San Juan

Fears of conflict in Caribbean amid U.S military build-up

The coastal town of Black River, described by the Jamaican government as Hurricane Melissa's "ground zero," lies devastated after one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record tore through the island, claiming at least 19 lives and leaving a trail of unprecedented destruction.

Lebanon’s ancient city of Baalbek on edge as Israel threatens escalation

Breakdown

See The Full Story

Middle East Conflict