Lebanon Says Israeli Airstrikes Kill 100 People, Wound More Than 400 | rssama.com

JERUSALEM (AP) — Lebanese authorities opportunity 100 group person been killed successful Israeli airstrikes successful what would beryllium nan deadliest time successful Lebanon successful astir a twelvemonth of fighting against nan Hezbollah militant group.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said much than 400 others were wounded successful nan strikes successful confederate Lebanon.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli subject said it struck 300 targets Monday successful Lebanon successful 1 of nan astir aggravated barrages of airstrikes successful astir a twelvemonth of fighting against nan Hezbollah militant group.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said 50 group were killed and 300 wounded, making this past week nan deadliest successful Lebanon since nan conflict started successful October. In nan past 7 days, astir 150 group person been killed, galore of them civilians.

Before nan escalation opening pinch nan activity of pager explosions past Tuesday, astir 600 group had been killed successful Lebanon since October, mostly fighters, but besides much than 100 civilians.

The Israeli service announced nan action connected societal media, posting a photograph of what is said was nan subject chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, approving further attacks from subject office successful Tel Aviv.

Halevi and different Israeli leaders person promised tougher action against Hezbollah successful nan coming days.

Hezbollah said successful a connection that it fired dozens of rockets astatine an Israeli subject station successful Galilee. It besides targeted for a 2nd time nan accommodation of nan Rafael defense firm, headquartered successful Haifa.

As Israel carried retired nan attacks, Israeli authorities reported a bid of air-raid sirens successful bluish Israel informing of incoming rocket occurrence from Lebanon.

As nan subject was carrying retired nan attacks, Israeli authorities reported a bid of air-raid sirens successful bluish Israel informing of incoming rocket occurrence from Lebanon.

Earlier Monday, Israel urged residents of confederate Lebanon to evacuate from homes and different buildings wherever it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying nan subject would behaviour “extensive strikes” against nan militant group.

It was nan first informing of its benignant successful astir a twelvemonth of steadily escalating conflict and came aft a peculiarly dense speech of occurrence connected Sunday. Hezbollah launched astir 150 rockets, missiles and drones into bluish Israel successful retaliation for strikes that killed a apical commander and dozens of fighters.

There was nary motion of an contiguous exodus from nan villages of confederate Lebanon, and nan informing near unfastened nan anticipation that immoderate residents could unrecorded successful aliases adjacent targeted structures without knowing that they are risk.

The expanding strikes and counterstrikes person raised fears of an all-out war, moreover arsenic Israel is still battling Hamas successful Gaza and trying to return scores of hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Hezbollah has vowed to proceed its strikes successful solidarity pinch nan Palestinians and Hamas, a chap Iran-backed militant group. Israel says it is committed to returning calm to its bluish border.

Associated Press journalists successful confederate Lebanon reported dense airstrikes targeting galore areas Monday morning, including immoderate acold from nan border.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said nan strikes deed a forested area successful nan cardinal state of Byblos, astir 130 kilometers (81 miles) northbound of nan Israeli-Lebanese border, for nan first clip since nan exchanges began successful October. No injuries were reported there. Israel besides bombed targets successful nan northeastern Baalbek and Hermel regions, wherever a shepherd was killed and 2 family members were wounded, according to nan news agency. It said a full of 30 group were wounded successful strikes.

The Lebanese Health Ministry asked hospitals successful confederate Lebanon and nan eastbound Bekaa vale to postpone surgeries that could beryllium done later. The ministry said successful a connection that its petition aimed to support hospitals fresh to woody pinch group wounded by “Israel’s expanding aggression connected Lebanon.”

An Israeli subject charismatic said Israel is focused connected aerial operations and has nary contiguous plans for a crushed operation. The official, speaking connected information of anonymity successful keeping pinch regulations, said nan strikes are aimed astatine curbing Hezbollah’s expertise to motorboat much strikes into Israel.

Lebanese media reported that residents received matter messages urging them to move distant from immoderate building wherever Hezbollah stores arms until further notice.

“If you are successful a building lodging weapons for Hezbollah, move distant from nan colony until further notice,” nan Arabic connection reads, according to Lebanese media.

Lebanon’s accusation minister, Ziad Makary, said successful a connection that his agency successful Beirut had received a recorded connection telling group to time off nan building.

“This comes successful nan model of nan psychological warfare implemented by nan enemy,” Makary said, and urged group “not to springiness nan matter much attraction than it deserves.”

It was not instantly clear really galore group would beryllium affected by nan Israeli orders. Communities connected some sides of nan separator person mostly emptied retired because of nan near-daily exchanges of fire.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of transforming full communities successful nan southbound into militant bases, pinch hidden rocket launchers and different infrastructure. That could lead nan Israeli subject to costs an particularly dense bombing campaign, moreover if nary crushed forces move in.

The subject said it had targeted much than 150 militant sites early Monday. Residents of different villages successful confederate Lebanon posted photos connected societal media of airstrikes and ample plumes of smoke. The state-run National News Agency besides reported airstrikes connected different areas.

An Israeli airstrike connected a Beirut suburb connected Friday killed a apical Hezbollah subject commandant and much than a twelve fighters, arsenic good arsenic dozens of civilians, including women and children.

Last week, thousands of communications devices, utilized chiefly by Hezbollah members, exploded successful different parts of Lebanon, sidesplitting 39 group and wounding astir 3,000. Lebanon blamed Israel for nan attacks, but Israel did not corroborate aliases contradict immoderate responsibility.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel a time aft nan Oct. 7 onslaught successful what it said was an effort to pin down Israeli forces to thief Palestinian fighters successful Gaza. Israel has retaliated pinch airstrikes, and nan conflict has steadily intensified complete nan past year.

The fighting has killed hundreds of group successful Lebanon, dozens successful Israel and displaced tens of thousands connected some sides of nan border. It has besides sparked brushwood fires that person destroyed agriculture and scarred nan landscape.

Israel has vowed to push Hezbollah backmost from nan separator truthful its citizens tin return to their homes, saying it prefers to do truthful diplomatically but is consenting to usage force. Hezbollah has said it will support up its attacks until location is simply a cease-fire successful Gaza, but that appears progressively elusive arsenic nan warfare nears its anniversary.

Hamas-led militants stormed into confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting astir 250. Some 100 captives are still held successful Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to beryllium dead, aft astir of nan remainder were released during a weeklong cease-fire successful November.

Israel’s violative has killed complete 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate betwixt civilians and fighters successful its count. It says women and children dress up a small complete half of those killed. Israel says it has killed complete 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

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Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell successful Beirut contributed to this report.

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