Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 274 people in Lebanon as the IDF’s war on Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Women, children, and paramedics are among those killed in the attacks, which has left over 720 people wounded and thousands displaced throughout Lebanon.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has condemned the strikes as ‘a genocide in every sense of the word’ and has called on the UN Security Council and world nations to ‘deter the aggression.’
The Israeli military said they were targeting around 150 weapons sites used by Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley, which runs along the Lebanese-Syrian border and it is where the militant group was founded in 1982 with the help of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
But strikes have been reported hitting residential areas of towns, with at least one missile reported landing over 80 miles from the border.
The bombings came as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon earlier this week to evacuate their homes ahead of a military campaign against Hezbollah- the same strategy used to displace civilians in Gaza ahead of the IDF’s war on Hamas.
Lebanese media reported that residents received text messages urging them to move away from any building where Hezbollah stores arms until further notice.
Yet despite the warnings there has been no sign of an immediate exodus from the villages of southern Lebanon, raising concerns that more civilians could be targeted and that some residents could live in or near targeted structures without knowing that they are at risk.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of transforming entire communities in the south into military bases, with hidden rocket launchers and other infrastructure.
The IDF made similar claims about civilian infrastructure in Gaza, which was used as justification to target schools, hospitals and residential areas in their ongoing war against Hamas.
The evacuation warnings come following nearly a year of escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, who recently launched around 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated his desire to ‘change the balance of power’ in northern Lebanon on Monday, and called for unity amongst Israelis while the campaign continues.
A UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (Unifil) has said Israel’s actions in Lebanon could be considered war crimes, and expressed ‘grave concern for the safety of civilians’ along the Lebanese border.
‘Any further escalation of this dangerous situation could have far-reaching and devastating consequences, not only for those living on both sides of the Blue line, but also for the broader region,’ Unifil said in a statement. ‘Attacks on civilians are not only violations of international law, but may amount to war crimes’.
Last week, thousands of communications devices, used mainly by Hezbollah members, exploded in different parts of Lebanon, killing 39 people and wounding nearly 3,000. Lebanon blamed Israel for the attacks, but Israel did not confirm or deny any responsibility.
Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the Oct. 7 attack in what it said was an attempt to pin down Israeli forces to help Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict has steadily intensified over the past year.
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The fighting has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon, dozens in Israel and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border. It has also sparked brush fires that have destroyed agriculture and scarred the landscape.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 41,000 Palestinians since October 7, according to the country’s health ministry- around half of which are said to be women and children.
Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
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