274 dead in Lebanon as Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in fresh offensive
At least 274 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded, including children, women, and medics, as Israel intensified its strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday.
This was the deadliest attack since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel bombarded several areas in Lebanon as its defence force warned people to immediately leave their homes and other buildings where the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group allegedly stores weapons.
According to Lebanese officials, the country received more than 80,000 suspected Israeli calls asking people to evacuate. The head of telecoms company Ogero, Imad Kreidieh, confirmed this development to the news agency Reuters, saying such calls were “psychological warfare to cause havoc and chaos”.
As the conflict is set to intensify, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that “we have complicated days ahead”. He stated that he had promised to change the balance of power in the north, and that is exactly what is happening.
The latest development brings Israel’s 11-month conflict with the militant group closer to all-out war after a week of escalation.
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The Israeli military said it struck 300 targets in Lebanon on Monday in one of the most intense barrages of airstrikes in nearly a year of fighting against the Hezbollah militant group. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least100 people were killed and more than 400 wounded, making it the deadliest day in Lebanon since the conflict started in October.
The Lebanese Home Ministry ordered to open schools in Beirut, Tripoli and Eastern and Southern Lebanon as shelters amid ‘heavy displacement’ of Lebanese, the government said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country has “complicated days ahead”. He also called on all Israelis to “follow home front guidelines and stay united”. Netanyahu said, “We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets that are aimed at israeli cities and civilians. â€æI promised that we would change the balance of power in the north and that is exactly what we are doing”.
The Israeli military announced that it will be further expanding its operations in Lebanon and also released a map showing 17 villages and towns in southern Lebanon. However, it did not reveal which of them they would be targeting. The IDF said in a statement, “We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety”.
The evacuation order represents Israel’s latest effort to weaken Hezbollah, following covert operations last week that targeted and damaged parts of the militia’s communication networks. Additionally, a rare strike in Beirut on Friday destroyed a building where senior Hezbollah commanders were meeting. The Israeli spokesperson stated that the attack targeted the areas related to the Hezbollah militant group.