Israeli air strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have killed at least 492 people, marking the deadliest day of conflict in the region in nearly two decades, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
In response, thousands of families have evacuated their homes as Israeli forces struck over 1,300 Hezbollah sites, aiming to destroy infrastructure built since the 2006 conflict.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched more than 200 rockets into northern Israel, with paramedics reporting two injuries from shrapnel.
Global leaders are urging restraint as tensions escalate, potentially leading to full-scale war.
The Lebanese health ministry reports that among the dead are 35 children and 58 women, with a total of 1,645 people wounded. It remains unclear how many of the casualties were civilians.
Health Minister Firass Abiad noted that the strikes also forced thousands of families to flee.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern over the escalating conflict, stressing the importance of preventing Lebanon from “becoming another Gaza.”
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, called the escalation “extremely dangerous and worrying,” especially ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York, warning of a potential full-scale war.
President Joe Biden stated that the U.S. is working to de-escalate the situation to allow people to return home safely. The Pentagon is deploying a small number of additional troops to the Middle East as a precaution.
The ongoing conflict, sparked by the war in Gaza, has caused hundreds of deaths, mostly among Hezbollah fighters, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border over the past year.
Hezbollah has declared its support for Hamas and vows to continue fighting until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran and are designated as terrorist organizations by Israel, the UK, and other countries.
Amid the rising tensions, the Pentagon announced the deployment of more U.S. troops to the region.
Throughout the day, Israeli strikes hit several towns, villages, and open areas in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Later, several missiles struck a building in Beirut’s Bir al-Abed area.
Lebanese security sources identified the target as Hezbollah’s top commander in southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, though his fate remains uncertain. Hezbollah’s media office reported that Karaki is safe and has moved to a secure location.
As the strikes continued, roads from southern Lebanon to Beirut became congested with residents fleeing, following warnings from the Israeli military to vacate areas near Hezbollah weapon storage sites.
During a brief stop in Beirut, a family fleeing on a motorbike expressed their urgency to escape to the northern city of Tripoli.
Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary said Israel had warned his ministry to evacuate its building in Beirut, which he dismissed as psychological warfare.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks as a “war of extermination” and stressed that the government is working to prevent further escalation.
The Israel Defense Forces reported targeting around 1,300 Hezbollah “terror locations” in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, aiming to dismantle missile and drone storage facilities.
IDF Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, emphasized the importance of these strikes in enabling northern residents to return to their homes.
IDF spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari noted significant secondary explosions in southern Lebanon, suggesting Hezbollah’s stored weapons likely contributed to the casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese citizens to evacuate areas likely to be targeted, accusing Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields by storing weapons in residential buildings.
A senior Israeli military official clarified that the focus remains on aerial operations, with no immediate plans for a ground invasion to create a buffer zone.
The official outlined the goals of reducing Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks, pushing back its forces, and dismantling the infrastructure built by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
