Israeli airstrikes aimed at Hezbollah in southern Lebanon claimed at least 492 lives on Monday, with more than 1,645 others injured, according to Beirut’s report. Israel has warned of broader operations against Hezbollah, while urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate areas suspected of harboring the group’s weapons.
The IDF explained that their strikes targeted residences where Hezbollah had placed “rockets, drones, and missiles.” They stressed that civilians in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley should vacate homes containing such weaponry. The military also noted that a significant portion of those killed were Hezbollah operatives.
Meanwhile, Israelis sought cover as Hezbollah unleashed over 200 rockets towards Israel, triggering alarms in the northern region, around Haifa, and even as far as certain West Bank settlements near Tel Aviv. Although the attacks caused some destruction, they did not result in severe casualties. This latest assault came after the terror group launched at least 150 rockets the previous day, marking one of the most intense bombardments since hostilities escalated last October.
In Lebanon, footage circulating on social media showed large crowds fleeing major cities, with officials opening schools to accommodate thousands of displaced individuals.
The IDF reported that it had hit approximately 1,600 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday. These included homes allegedly used as storage for weapons capable of threatening Israel. The barrage, the deadliest since the 2006 Lebanon war, has heightened concerns about a potential full-scale conflict along the volatile border.
From a secure command center in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was shifting the dynamics with Hezbollah, making it clear the country would no longer remain passive after months of cross-border skirmishes.
“Hezbollah has taken advantage of the situation, and we are responding decisively,” Netanyahu stated. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been displaced due to Hezbollah’s ongoing rocket attacks since October, and Israel’s government has prioritized the return of these individuals to their homes as a key goal of the current military campaign.
“We do not wait for threats; we preempt them. In every theater, at all times,” Netanyahu asserted.
Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the casualty figures, with Monday’s strikes being the deadliest since Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel last year. Women and children were among the dead and injured. While Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the extent of its losses, reports suggest the group has suffered significant casualties in recent days.
Videos shared on social media depicted civilians fleeing in long lines of vehicles, some heading from mountainous areas to safer locations. One clip showed cars waiting on a highway lined with both Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, with black smoke from recent airstrikes visible in the distance.
In Sidon, a coastal city, all lanes of the Rafic Hariri Boulevard were congested with vehicles attempting to head north. Meanwhile, in Nabatieh, residents captured a large explosion blocking roads as civilians tried to escape.
During a briefing, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari pointed out that some of the recorded strikes led to secondary explosions, indicating Hezbollah weapons caches were hit. “What you’re seeing in southern Lebanon are Hezbollah’s weapons detonating inside residential areas,” Hagari said, reaffirming that each home targeted contained rockets, drones, or missiles intended to harm Israeli civilians. He once again urged Lebanese civilians in the Beqaa Valley to leave homes where Hezbollah stored its arms.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, had given a two-hour warning for civilians to evacuate the Beqaa area.
Netanyahu, after consulting with senior defense officials, stated that Israel’s goal was to eliminate Hezbollah leaders, operatives, and weaponry. “Anyone who tries to harm us will face consequences far worse,” he said. “We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets aimed at Israeli towns and citizens.”
As airstrikes continued across Lebanon, the health ministry urged hospitals in the southern regions and the Beqaa Valley to delay non-emergency surgeries to remain prepared for potential casualties from ongoing Israeli strikes.
Earlier on Monday, Israel called on residents of southern Lebanon to vacate areas where Hezbollah was believed to store weapons, warning of upcoming large-scale operations targeting the terror group. Lebanese media reported that citizens received text messages advising them to distance themselves from any building linked to Hezbollah arms storage.
“If your building contains Hezbollah weapons, evacuate immediately until further notice,” read a message, as reported by Lebanese outlets.
Despite these warnings, Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary urged citizens to disregard Israel’s instructions. He claimed that the messages were part of a psychological warfare tactic and advised people to stay calm.
Ahead of the mass evacuation, social media posts from southern Lebanon showed images of airstrikes and thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky. Lebanon’s National News Agency confirmed strikes in several locations, some of which were far from the border. For instance, airstrikes hit forested areas in Byblos province, located about 130 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, though no casualties were reported. Additional strikes occurred in the Baalbek and Hermel regions, resulting in one death and injuries to two family members, as per the agency. The strikes overall left 30 people wounded.
On the Israeli side, sirens blared across dozens of towns as Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets toward Haifa and other northern areas for a second consecutive day. Rockets also targeted West Bank settlements northeast of Tel Aviv. While the strikes caused damage, no injuries were immediately reported.
Since last year, approximately 80,000 Lebanese have fled southern Lebanon, enduring nearly daily Hezbollah rocket fire and Israeli retaliation. Another 60,000 residents in northern Israel have also been forced from their homes.
Israel has long accused Hezbollah of converting entire communities in southern Lebanon into fortified terror hubs, complete with concealed rocket launchers and other military infrastructure.
On Monday, Hagari presented previously unseen footage showing Hezbollah operatives preparing to fire a cruise missile from a civilian house in southern Lebanon, a site that was later bombed by Israel. The missile, identified as a Russian-made DR-3 variant, was packed with 300 kilograms of explosives and had a range of up to 200 kilometers.
“Hezbollah is endangering you and your families,” Hagari told southern Lebanese civilians, warning them to keep their distance from the group’s weaponry.
While Israel is concentrating on air operations, an unnamed military official stated there are currently no plans for a ground invasion. The official emphasized that the primary goal of the airstrikes is to diminish Hezbollah’s ability to launch future attacks on Israel.
Hezbollah began its rocket attacks on Israel shortly after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel. The group claimed that its actions were intended to divert Israeli forces and aid Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Israel has responded with a steady increase in airstrikes, leading to a drawn-out conflict.
In a separate incident, an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb last Friday killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other militant leaders.
Additionally, last week saw multiple explosions across Lebanon that destroyed thousands of communication devices primarily used by Hezbollah, leaving 39 dead and nearly 3,000 injured. Lebanon blamed Israel, though no confirmation or denial was issued.
Israel remains determined to push Hezbollah back from the border, ideally through diplomatic means but with force if necessary. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has stated it will continue its attacks until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, though such an agreement seems far off as the conflict nears a grim anniversary.
Hezbollah has publicly mourned 506 of its members who have died in the ongoing clashes, with most of the deaths occurring in Lebanon and some in Syria. Among the casualties are 79 militants from other terror factions, a Lebanese soldier, and numerous civilians. Israel has lost 26 civilians and 22 IDF reservists to Hezbollah’s rocket and missile attacks.
{Matzav.com Israel}