Smoke billows from the location of an Israeli airstrike in Marjayoun, close to the Lebanon-Israel border, on September 23, 2024.
Rabih Daher | Afp | Getty Pictures
Israeli strikes Monday on Lebanon killed greater than 490 folks, together with greater than 90 ladies and youngsters, Lebanese authorities mentioned, within the deadliest barrage because the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah struggle. The Israeli navy warned residents in southern and jap Lebanon to evacuate forward of its widening air marketing campaign towards Hezbollah.
1000’s of Lebanese fled the south, and the principle freeway out of the southern port metropolis of Sidon was jammed with automobiles heading towards Beirut within the largest exodus since 2006.
Lebanon’s well being ministry mentioned the strikes killed 492 folks, together with 35 youngsters and 58 ladies, and wounded 1,645 folks — a staggering one-day toll for a rustic nonetheless reeling from a lethal assault on communication units final week.
In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to heed Israeli calls to evacuate, saying “take this warning severely.”
“Please get out of hurt’s manner now,” Netanyahu mentioned. “As soon as our operation is completed, you’ll be able to come again safely to your properties.”
Israel’s navy spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, mentioned the military will do “no matter is important” to push Hezbollah from Lebanon’s border with Israel.
Hagari claimed Monday’s widespread airstrikes had inflicted heavy injury on Hezbollah. However he wouldn’t give a timeline for the continuing operation and mentioned Israel was ready to launch a floor invasion of Lebanon if wanted.
“We aren’t on the lookout for wars. We need to take down the threats,” he mentioned. “We are going to do no matter is important to do to realize this mission.”
Hagari mentioned Hezbollah has launched some 9,000 rockets and drones into Israel since final October, together with 250 on Monday alone.
The navy spokesman mentioned Israeli warplanes struck 1,300 Hezbollah targets Monday, destroying cruise missiles, long- and short-range rockets and assault drones. He mentioned many had been hidden in residential areas, exhibiting photographs of what he mentioned had been weapons hidden in non-public properties.
“Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon right into a struggle zone,” he instructed a information convention.
Israel estimates Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, together with guided missiles and long-range projectiles able to placing wherever in Israel.
Earlier Monday night, the Israeli navy mentioned it had carried out a focused strike in Beirut. It didn’t give particulars. Lebanon’s state-run Nationwide Information Company reported three missiles hit southern Beirut’s Beir al-Abed neighborhood. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV mentioned six folks had been wounded.
Lebanese Well being Minister Firass Abiad mentioned the sooner strikes hit hospitals, medical facilities and ambulances. The federal government ordered colleges and universities to shut throughout many of the nation and commenced getting ready shelters for the displaced.
Some strikes hit residential areas within the south and the jap Bekaa Valley. One hit a wooded space as far-off as Byblos, greater than 80 miles (130 kilometers) from the border north of Beirut.
A Syrian household sit with their belongings behind a truck as they wait in a visitors jam within the southern Lebanese metropolis of Sidon on September 23, 2024.
Mahmoud Zayyat | Afp | Getty Pictures
Israel mentioned it was increasing the airstrikes to incorporate areas of the valley alongside Lebanon’s jap border with Syria. Hezbollah has lengthy had a longtime presence within the valley, the place the group was based in 1982 with the assistance of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israel’s navy chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, mentioned Israel was getting ready its “subsequent phases” of operations towards Hezbollah, and that its airstrikes had been “proactive,” concentrating on Hezbollah infrastructure constructed over the previous 20 years.
Halevi mentioned the aim was to permit displaced Israelis to return to their properties in northern Israel.
In the meantime, Hezbollah mentioned it fired dozens of rockets towards Israel, together with at navy bases. It additionally focused for a second day the amenities of the Rafael protection agency, headquartered in Haifa.
The evacuation warnings had been the primary of their variety in almost a yr of steadily escalating battle and got here after a very heavy alternate of fireplace Sunday. Hezbollah launched round 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a high commander and dozens of fighters.
The growing strikes and counterstrikes have raised fears of all-out struggle, at the same time as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza and tries to barter the discharge of scores of hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault. Hezbollah has vowed to proceed its strikes in solidarity with Hamas, a fellow Iran-backed militant group.
A spokeswoman for President Joe Biden mentioned the administration was involved about what’s taking place between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and insisted that getting a cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza was key to easing tensions within the area.
“It is in everybody’s curiosity to resolve it shortly and diplomatically,” White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre instructed reporters touring with Biden to New York, the place he’s to ship his remaining deal with to the U.N. Basic Meeting on Tuesday.
Monday’s dying toll far surpassed that of Beirut’s devastating port explosion in 2020, when tons of of tons of ammonium nitrate saved in a warehouse detonated, killing at the least 218 folks and wounding greater than 6,000.
The Lebanese Well being Ministry requested hospitals in southern Lebanon and the jap Bekaa Valley to postpone non-urgent surgical procedures to deal with folks wounded by “Israel’s increasing aggression on Lebanon.”
Fighters of the Lebanese Shiite motion Hezbollah carry the physique of the group’s high navy commander Ibrahim Aqil throughout his funeral in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 22, 2024.
– | Afp | Getty Pictures
On Monday, residents obtained textual content messages studying: “In case you are in a constructing housing weapons for Hezbollah, transfer away from the village till additional discover,” Lebanese media reported.
Lebanon’s info minister, Ziad Makary, mentioned his workplace in Beirut had obtained a recorded message telling folks to go away the constructing.
“This comes within the framework of the psychological struggle applied by the enemy,” Makary mentioned, and urged folks “to not give the matter extra consideration than it deserves.”
Communities on either side of the border have largely emptied due to the near-daily exchanges of fireplace.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of reworking complete communities within the south into militant bases, with hidden rocket launchers and different infrastructure. That would lead the Israeli navy to wage an particularly heavy bombing marketing campaign, even when no floor forces transfer in.
An Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday killed a high Hezbollah navy commander and greater than a dozen fighters, in addition to dozens of civilians, together with ladies and youngsters.
Final week, 1000’s of communications units, used primarily by Hezbollah members, exploded in numerous components of Lebanon, killing 39 folks and wounding almost 3,000, a lot of them civilians. Lebanon blamed Israel, however Israel didn’t affirm or deny duty.
Hezbollah started firing into Israel a day after the Oct. 7 assault in what it mentioned was an try to pin down Israeli forces to assist Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, and the battle has steadily intensified.
Hezbollah has mentioned it’ll sustain assaults till there’s a cease-fire in Gaza, however that seems more and more elusive because the struggle nears its anniversary.
Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and abducting round 250. Some 100 captives are nonetheless held in Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless, after many of the relaxation had been launched throughout a weeklong cease-fire in November.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, in accordance with the Gaza Well being Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters. It says ladies and youngsters make up just a little over half of these killed. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
