Israel carries out airstrikes on southern Lebanon: Over 300 people reported dead
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Israeli warplanes have struck 1,300 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, according to the country's Ministry of Health, which reports 356 people killed and another 1,240 injured in the attacks, reports the AP.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that the strikes destroyed Hezbollah's cruise missiles, heavy explosive rockets, long- and short-range missiles, and attack drones. According to him, many of these munitions were hidden in residential areas. He presented photos, which he claimed provided relevant evidence.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Monday had risen to 356, including 24 children and 42 women. More than 1,240 people were injured.
The agency notes that the death toll has surpassed the casualties from the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed at least 218 people and injured over 6,000 when hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated.
Thousands of people are fleeing southern Lebanon.
Speaking to foreign journalists, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari did not specify the duration of the current operation and said that Israel is prepared to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon if necessary.
“We are not looking for wars. We are looking to take down the threats. We will do whatever is necessary to do to achieve this mission. We hope to do it as shortly as we can,” he said.
The IDF representative stated that Israel would continue fighting until Hezbollah withdraws its forces from the border, allowing tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes near Lebanon.
Hagari accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields by hiding weapons in Lebanese villages and presented videos showing, as he claimed, secondary explosions allegedly caused by Hezbollah weapons concealed in houses. Hagari suggested that some of the deaths were a result of these secondary explosions.
US officials expect a significant escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which could lead to a full-scale war.
On September 17-18, hundreds of pagers and radios used by Hezbollah militants detonated in Lebanon, reportedly killing at least 37 people and injuring around 3,000.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog denied his country’s involvement in the operation.
