182 killed, hundreds injured in extensive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

BEIRUT: At least 182 people have been killed and 727 injured in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, here on Monday.

According to the Al Jazeera, the Israeli military has reported that it has carried out more than 300 airstrikes targeting Hezbollah-affiliated locations.

The escalation in violence raises concerns about the possibility of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as a broader regional conflict. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said the dead included children, women and medical staff.

The announcement came after the Israeli military warned civilians to evacuate areas it claimed were being used by Hezbollah, which fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel a day earlier.

Fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has intensified, with the ongoing conflict since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October. The increase follows last week’s incidents involving the explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies that resulted in several deaths in Lebanon.

On Monday morning, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that Israeli forces had launched “massive strikes” on Hezbollah positions after detecting attempts to launch rockets.

The Israeli government has recently turned its attention to the conflict with Hezbollah, aiming to facilitate the return of some 60,000 Israelis who were expelled from the border areas.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appealed to the public to remain calm as military operations escalated.

In a video message, he said, “We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, and these operations will continue until we achieve our goal of returning northerners safely to their homes. would have done.”

Gallant stressed the need for the Israeli people to show patience during this difficult time.