This is a developing story.
Following a warning to Lebanese civilians, the Israel Defense Forces carried out possibly its largest wave of airstrikes during the current war, hitting over 300 Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley by around noon on Monday.
At the time of publication, the IDF announced it had begun another wave of strikes.
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The Lebanese Ministry of Health claimed that around 100 people had died and 400 were wounded in the strikes, a number that is much higher than previous Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
The Israeli attacks reportedly focused on Hezbollah infrastructure deeply embedded in populated areas, which may have contributed to the high casualty count.
Among the casualties was Ali Aburia, a senior Hezbollah official, Sky News Arabia reported.
In an unusual statement following the first wave of airstrikes on Monday morning, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari had warned citizens to move out of harm’s way just before the Israeli Air Force began the second wave of strikes that continued for over three hours.
According to reports in Arabic media, the warnings and subsequent strikes caused thousands of residents to flee north from southern Lebanon. In addition, schools in Beirut stopped classes and sent the children home.
The Minister of Education in Lebanon ordered elementary and high schools to close in all the districts of south Lebanon, Nabatiya, the Lebanon Valley, Baalbek, al-Hermel and the Dahiyeh district of Beirut.
The Health Ministry also instructed hospitals to halt non-essential surgeries to prepare for an expected wave of casualties.
Hezbollah responded with rocket fire at numerous areas across the Galilee, including at least 35 rockets fired at the area of Safed and the Lower Galilee region, which hasn’t been targeted as much in recent months.
This article was originally published by All Israel News.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis and information from Israel to our Christian friends around the world.
