Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah sites resulted in the deaths of 558 individuals in Lebanon on Monday, with 50 of them being children and 94 women. This day marked the most lethal day in cross-border conflict since 2006, as the Lebanese militant group launched nearly 200 rockets into northern Israel in response to the attacks by Israel.
Rocket sirens activated in northern Israel after Hezbollah fires 200 rockets
Rocket sirens were activated in Haifa, Afula, Nazareth, and other northern Israeli cities following a Hezbollah rocket attack overnight. The Iran-supported group claimed the targets were various Israeli military bases and airfields.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict that started after the Gaza conflict in October 2020 has raised concerns about a potential all-out war in the region as many nations have requested for caution.
Also read: Israel issues evacuation warning to Labanese citizens as it continues airstrikes on Hezbollah targets
Thousands of individuals escaped to Beirut from towns and villages in southern Lebanon as the Israeli military targeted 1,600 Hezbollah locations in the country, marking the most severe attack in almost a year of conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the military of Israel was altering the “security equilibrium” on its northern frontier. Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, mentioned that the military is getting ready for the upcoming stages in Lebanon and will provide further details at a later time.
The IDF published images of a hydraulic launcher with a long-range rocket, placed in the upper floor of a residence in Lebanon.
“The rocket that you see below is a long-range rocket, stored on a hydraulic system directed toward Israeli civilians and ready to be launched at a moment’s notice. This is just one of the 1,300 targets including long-range cruise missiles, heavy-weight rockets and UAVs that were struck today in Lebanon and were going to be used to cause major damage in all areas of Israel,” it tweeted.
US President Joe Biden stressed on need to calm down the situation
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, stated that he received a briefing on the most recent events in Israel and Lebanon. He emphasized that his team was focused on finding ways to calm down the situation. In the meantime, a spokesperson for the US State Department stated that Washington was prepared to protect its “allies and partners”, as the Pentagon announced an increase in troops being deployed to the Middle East.
On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed that Israel is setting up “traps” to draw Iran into a larger conflict in the Middle East. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields, resulting in a high number of deaths.
