Israel's strikes on Lebanon kill 123, Hezbollah vows retaliation

At least 123 people have been killed and more than 680 wounded in a series of intense Israeli attacks across Lebanon this week, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health has confirmed. The toll marks one of the deadliest escalations in the ongoing cross-border conflict, which has now widened beyond the border towns to include Beirut's southern suburbs and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

According to a ministry statement issued on Thursday, the fatalities resulted from what it described as "Israeli aggression" on Monday, with casualties continuing to rise as rescue operations continue.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes launched fresh nighttime raids on multiple towns in the south, including Srifa, Aita al-Shaab, Touline, as-Sawana and Majdal Selem. Another strike hit the eastern town of Douris at dawn. Sources on the ground also confirmed raids near Sidon, the region's largest city in the south, as well as flights over Tyre and Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli army also announced a new attack on Dahiyeh, a densely populated southern suburb of Beirut home to roughly half a million people. The military said it has conducted at least 26 rounds of strikes in the area, targeting what it claims are Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including the group's Executive Council headquarters and a drone storage facility.

The bombardments follow a directive from the Israeli military warning residents to evacuate parts of Dahiyeh, triggering a mass displacement. The NNA reported the suburb is now "almost empty," with hundreds of families fleeing to Beirut's coastline, many seeking refuge on public beaches for the second time since the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

In response, Hezbollah issued a warning early Friday urging Israeli settlers to evacuate towns within 5 kilometres of the northern border. The group said in a statement that Israeli aggression would "not go unchallenged," and claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Israeli ground forces inside Lebanese territory, particularly near the border villages of Maroun al-Ras and Kfar Kila.

Hezbollah also reported firing on Israel's Yoav military camp in the occupied Golan Heights and a naval base near Haifa port. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Israeli side.

Source: Al Jazeera