DUBAI: The death toll in Lebanon has risen to at least 558 after a series of Israeli airstrikes on the country, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The strikes have also left over 1,800 people injured, including 50 children. The IDF has continued to strike Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, while the Iran-backed terror group has fired volleys of rockets at Israeli air bases.

The situation has escalated rapidly, with both sides engaging in a series of retaliatory attacks. The Israeli Defense Forces have struck over 1,600 targets in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, including missile launchers, command posts, and other terror infrastructure. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, causing panic and damage.

The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported that women, children, and medics are among those who have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes. The strikes have also caused widespread destruction and displacement, with many people forced to flee their homes.

World leaders and the United Nations have called for urgent de-escalation, urging both sides to stop the violence and engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. The Israeli government has been pushing for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon, in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701.

The situation is precarious, with both sides showing no signs of backing down. The international community is watching closely, hoping to prevent a full-scale conflict from erupting.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was destroying “thousands” of rockets and missiles aimed at Israeli cities as Israeli warplanes bombed Lebanon, killing at least 182 people.

Speaking at the beginning of a security assessment meeting at the Air Force Command Center in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said the strikes were “shifting the balance of power” between Israel and Hezbollah.

Since early Monday, Israel unleashed three waves of airstrikes, targeting more than 300 locations in Lebanon. The military also called residents to flee their homes, saying the large-scale airstrikes are targeting civilian buildings where Hezbollah allegedly hides missiles.

“We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets aimed at Israel’s cities and citizens,” Netanyahu said. “I want to clarify Israel’s policy — we do not wait for a threat; we preempt it. Everywhere, in every arena, at any time. We eliminate senior figures, eliminate terrorists, eliminate missiles — and we are far from done.”

“Whoever tries to harm us, we will strike them with even greater force,” he added, Xinhua news agency reported.

Netanyahu said Israel is “facing complex days ahead,” referring to potential further Hezbollah retaliation.

Also on Monday afternoon, Hezbollah retaliated with rockets fired toward areas near Haifa and the Jezreel Valley, targeting for a second consecutive day areas in northern Israel.

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service reported no injuries in the latest attack, but earlier in the morning, five people were injured by rocket shrapnel. No fatalities have been reported on the Israeli side.

Agencies

Agencies