September 23rd 2024.
On Monday, Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women. The Israeli military claimed that the airstrikes were targeting the Hezbollah militant group's weapons storage facilities and urged residents to evacuate immediately.
As a result, thousands of people fled from southern Lebanon, creating major congestion on the main highway to Beirut. This was the largest exodus since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Shockingly, the strikes also resulted in over 1,645 injuries, making it one of the deadliest days for the country.
The Israeli military reported hitting more than 800 targets on Monday, all of which were linked to Hezbollah weapons sites. They also announced that they were expanding the operation to include the Bekaa Valley, which lies along Lebanon's eastern border. Residents of various villages in southern Lebanon took to social media to share photos of the strikes occurring in their towns.
These airstrikes came just a day after Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets into northern Israel, some of which landed near the city of Haifa. This was in response to an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday, which killed a top Hezbollah military commander and several other members, as well as innocent civilians, including women and children.
Last week, Lebanon experienced a series of explosions in different parts of the country, resulting in 39 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries. While Lebanon blamed Israel for these attacks, Israel neither confirmed nor denied their involvement. The death toll from Monday's strikes surpassed that of the devastating port explosion in Beirut in 2020, which killed over 200 people.
In a recorded message to Lebanese civilians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to take the evacuation warnings seriously and get out of harm's way. He assured them that once the operation was over, they could return safely to their homes. However, as the strikes continued, there were reports of a targeted strike in Beirut, although details were not disclosed.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad stated that the airstrikes had hit hospitals, medical centers, and ambulances. This led the government to close schools and universities across most of the country and start preparing shelters for displaced residents from the south.
The Israeli military declared that they had hit over 800 targets, including more than 300 sites in southern Lebanon, and were now expanding their airstrikes to the Bekaa Valley. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, urged residents of the valley to evacuate immediately, as it was also a storage site for Hezbollah weapons.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah released a statement claiming that they had fired dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post in Galilee and targeted the facilities of the Rafael defense firm in Haifa for a second day. As Israel carried out these attacks, they also reported air-raid sirens in northern Israel, warning of incoming rocket fire from Lebanon.
Earlier on Monday, Israel issued a broad warning, urging residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and buildings where they believed Hezbollah had stored weapons. As the situation continues to escalate, both sides are bracing for further violence and destruction.
On Monday, Israel launched a massive airstrike operation in southern and eastern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women. The Israeli military claimed that they were targeting areas where the Hezbollah militant group had stored weapons and urged residents to evacuate immediately.
The airstrikes caused chaos and panic, with thousands of people fleeing their homes in southern Lebanon and causing a major traffic jam on the main highway to Beirut. The Health Ministry reported that over 1,645 people were wounded in the attacks, making it one of the deadliest days in the country's history.
According to the Israeli military, they hit over 800 targets on Monday, all of which were allegedly linked to Hezbollah's weapons sites. They also announced that they were expanding their operation to include areas in the Bekaa Valley, along Lebanon's eastern border.
Residents of different villages in southern Lebanon shared photos on social media that showed their towns being struck by the airstrikes. This came just a day after Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets into northern Israel, causing widespread fear and damage. The rocket attacks were in response to an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb last Friday, which killed a top Hezbollah military commander, along with civilians, including women and children.
In the past week, Lebanon has also been hit by multiple explosions, with thousands of communication devices used by Hezbollah members exploding in different parts of the country. This has led to the deaths of 39 people and injured nearly 3,000. While Lebanon has blamed these attacks on Israel, there has been no confirmation or denial from Israel.
The death toll from Monday's airstrikes surpassed that of the devastating port explosion in Beirut last year, which killed over 200 people. In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to heed their warnings and evacuate to safety.
The Israeli military also announced that they had carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, but did not provide further details. The strikes have caused chaos and destruction, with hospitals, medical centers, and ambulances being hit. The Lebanese government has ordered schools and universities to close and has begun preparing shelters for those displaced by the airstrikes.
As the attacks continue, both Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire, with Hezbollah firing dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post and targeting the facilities of a defense firm in Haifa. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have reported multiple air-raid sirens in northern Israel, warning of incoming rocket fire from Lebanon.
In the midst of the chaos, Israel has issued a broad warning, urging residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and buildings where Hamas has stored weapons. The situation remains tense and unpredictable, with both sides continuing to engage in conflict.
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