Israel dramatically escalated its military operations in Lebanon on Monday, launching strikes against residential areas across the south and east of the country, killing hundreds of people.
According to Lebanon’s health minister, at least 492 people were killed in the Israeli strikes, including 38 children and 58 women, and another 1,645 people were wounded. Al Mayadeen reported that it’s estimated that Israeli warplanes launched 1,100 airstrikes.
Israel also launched an airstrike in Beirut and said it targeted Ali Karaki, the head of Hezbollah’s southern command. But Hezbollah said Karaki was “fine and God willing is in full health and wellness” and that he was “transported to a safe area.”
Tens of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon fled the Israeli bombardment and headed north. The Israeli military threatened that it would expand strikes to eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and told residents to leave. Later in the day, it began bombing the area.
To justify its bombing of civilian homes in Lebanon, the Israeli military claimed Hezbollah was storing large missiles and missile launchers inside houses. Israel offered no evidence for the claim besides animated videos and overhead footage that purported to show airstrikes on homes in Lebanon, but it was unclear.
Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel in response to the Israeli bombardment. Some rockets landed in Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel is expected to continue escalating its attacks on Lebanon, but Lebanese security sources told Middle East Eye that a ground invasion is not likely even though Israel is amassing troops. “Israel knows that if it infiltrates Lebanon, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah will have military superiority on the ground,” one source said. “If the Israeli army carries out a ground invasion, the Lebanese army will participate with Hezbollah in confronting and defending.”
Israel’s escalation came almost a week after it blew up thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah, killing dozens, including at least two children. This past Friday, Israel launched a major airstrike in Beirut, killing at least 45 people, including a senior Hezbollah commander, three children, and seven women.
On Sunday, Sheikh Naim Kassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, said the group had entered a “new phase” of fighting with Israel. But he also said Hezbollah would end its attacks on northern Israel if there were a ceasefire in Gaza.
Instead of pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, the US is backing Israel’s latest escalation in Lebanon and announced that it’s deploying more troops to the region. US military aid and political support have emboldened Israel to escalate in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.
