Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given a warning to Lebanese civilians following the deaths of more than 270 people from airstrikes on Beirut.
It has been the most lethal assault today since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict and now major evacuations are underway from southern and eastern Lebanon in anticipation of an expanded air offensive against Hezbollah by Israel.
Thousands are fleeing the south and traffic is clogging the main route from Sidon to Beirut after the airstrikes that have cost 270 people their lives and left more than 1,000 injured. The casualties exceeded those of the catastrophic Beirut port blast in 2020, which saw the detonation of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, killing at least 218 and injuring over 6,000.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in a recorded address, implored Lebanese citizens to listen to the Israeli evacuation advisories, stating: “Take this warning seriously. Please get out of harm’s way now.” He added: “Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes.”
On Monday evening, the Israeli military announced it had executed a precise strike in Beirut, though specifics were not immediately disclosed. Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad revealed in a Beirut press conference that hospitals, medical centres and ambulances were hit by strikes.
The government responded by closing schools and universities across most of the country and preparing shelters for those displaced from the south. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted around 800 sites, claiming to be targeting Hezbollah weapon locations. Some strikes landed in residential areas of southern towns and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
One strike even reached as far as Byblos in central Lebanon; more than 80 miles from the border north of Beirut. The military announced an expansion of the airstrikes to include areas of the valley along Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria. This area is known to have a strong Hezbollah presence, being the birthplace of the group in 1982 with assistance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reiterated warnings for residents to evacuate areas where Hezbollah weapons are stored, including in the valley. These warnings suggest some residents could unknowingly be living in or near targeted structures, putting them at risk. In a statement, Hezbollah claimed to have launched dozens of rockets towards Israel, including at military bases. For a second day, they also targeted the facilities of the Rafael defence firm, based in Haifa.
As Israel launched its attacks, air-raid sirens blared across northern Israel, signalling incoming rocket fire from Lebanon. This marked the first evacuation warnings in nearly a year of escalating conflict, following a particularly intense exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah retaliated by firing approximately 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel, in response to strikes that claimed the lives of a top commander and numerous fighters.
The escalating strikes have stoked fears of full-scale war, even as Israel continues to combat Hamas in Gaza and attempts to recover hostages taken during Hamas’ attack on October 7. Hezbollah has pledged to continue its strikes in solidarity with Palestinians and Hamas, another militant group backed by Iran. Israel, meanwhile, claims it is committed to restoring peace along its northern border.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the strikes hit a forested area in the central province of Byblos, about 130 kilometres north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, marking the first such strike since the exchanges began in October. Israel also targeted areas in the northeastern regions of Baalbek and Hermel, where a shepherd was killed and two family members were injured, according to the news agency. It reported a total of 30 people were wounded in the strikes.
The Lebanese Health Ministry has confirmed a death toll of 274, and has urged hospitals in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley to delay non-urgent surgeries. The ministry’s aim is to ensure hospitals are prepared to deal with casualties from “Israel’s expanding aggression on Lebanon”.
An anonymous Israeli military official has stated that Israel is currently focusing on aerial operations, with no immediate plans for ground operations. The strikes are intended to limit Hezbollah’s ability to launch further attacks into Israel. Lebanese media have reported that residents received text messages advising them to distance themselves from any buildings where Hezbollah may be storing weapons until further notice.
“If you are in a building housing weapons for Hezbollah, move away from the village until further notice,” read the Arabic message, as reported by Lebanese media. Lebanon’s Information Minister, Ziad Makary, revealed that his office in Beirut had received a recorded message instructing people to evacuate the building.
“This comes in the framework of the psychological war implemented by the enemy,” Makary said, urging people “not to give the matter more attention than it deserves”. Communities on both sides of the border have largely evacuated due to the near-daily exchanges of fire.
Israel has levelled accusations at Hezbollah, claiming the group had converted entire southern communities into militant bases, complete with concealed rocket launchers and other military infrastructure. It could potentially trigger a heavy bombing campaign by the Israeli military, even without the deployment of ground forces. A top Hezbollah military commander, along with over a dozen fighters and numerous civilians, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb last Friday.
In a shocking incident last week, thousands of communication devices, primarily used by Hezbollah members, detonated across various parts of Lebanon, resulting in 39 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries. While Lebanon pointed fingers at Israel for the attacks, Israel neither confirmed nor denied any involvement.
Hezbollah initiated firing into Israel the day following the October 7 attack, stating it was an attempt to distract Israeli forces and aid Palestinian fighters in Gaza. In response, Israel launched airstrikes, escalating the conflict that has been steadily intensifying over the past year.
Israel has pledged to push Hezbollah away from the border so its citizens can return home, expressing a preference for diplomatic means but readiness to use force if necessary. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has vowed to continue its attacks until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, a prospect that seems increasingly unlikely as the war approaches its anniversary.
On October 7, militants led by Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, and the abduction of around 250. Currently, about 100 captives are still being held in Gaza, with a third presumed dead, following the release of most during a week-long ceasefire in November.
The Israeli offensive has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths, as per the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties. They report that just over half of those killed were women and children. However, Israel claims to have eliminated over 17,000 militants, without providing any substantiating evidence.
