PALMYRA, Syria – Nov 21, (V7N) – In the deadliest airstrike since the start of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, Israeli warplanes unleashed devastation on Palmyra, leaving at least 36 dead and over 50 wounded, according to Syrian officials. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights places the death toll even higher, reporting 61 fatalities, including militants, Hezbollah operatives, and foreign fighters.  

Striking from the Al-Tanf area, the raid targeted multiple sites in Palmyra, a city adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage ruins famed for their Greco-Roman history. Despite the intense bombardment, Syria’s Antiquities Department reports that the ruins remain largely unscathed.  

The attack comes amid worsening tensions between Israel and Iran-backed forces, with Israel vowing to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria. Syria’s Foreign Ministry denounced the strike, calling it a "brutal Israeli aggression reflecting Zionist crimes against the region."  

This escalation follows the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in September, which has destabilized the region. Palmyra, already scarred by past battles with the Islamic State, now faces a fresh humanitarian and cultural crisis.