Israeli Strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon Kill 247, Wound Over 1,000 Amid Escalating Tensions

M10news – A massive Israeli missile barrage targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon killed at least 247 people and wounded more than 1,000 on Monday, marking a dangerous escalation that threatens to ignite an all-out war in the region.

The Israeli Défense Forces (IDF) launched strikes on 300 Hezbollah targets in response to increased assaults by the Iran-backed terror group on Israel. The renewed violence comes after Hezbollah began firing at Israel on Oct. 8, leading to a deadly tit-for-tat exchange.

Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on Kfar Rouman village, as seen from Marjayoun town, south Lebanon, on Sept. 23, 2024. AP

Monday’s strike was the first instance in the conflict where the IDF issued evacuation warnings to southern Lebanon residents ahead of “extensive strikes.”

Hezbollah retaliated by launching long-range weapons from Lebanon for the first time, targeting Israeli positions. The IDF stated that its airstrikes specifically targeted Hezbollah’s rocket facilities following the group’s attack on Sunday, which involved around 150 rockets, missiles, and drones.

“If you are in a building housing weapons for Hezbollah, move away from the village until further notice,” read Israel’s warning to civilians in Lebanon, as reported by Lebanese media. The message spurred a mass exodus in targeted areas, with reports indicating that some missiles reached far beyond the border.

Among the affected areas, an airstrike in Baalbek and Hermel killed a shepherd and two of his relatives, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Another missile struck a forested area in Byblos, about 81 miles north of the border, marking the first time the province was hit in the conflict.

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Marjayoun, near the Lebanon-Israel border, on Sept. 23, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon’s Health Ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel of “expanding aggression on Lebanon,” while Information Minister Ziad Makary labelled the evacuation warnings as a “psychological war” against the Lebanese people.

The Chief of the General Staff approves strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon from the IDF Headquarters Underground Operations Center. So far, more than 300 Hezbollah targets have been struck today. pic.twitter.com/hbNKWJ8QAs

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 23, 2024

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari defended the strikes, citing video evidence of secondary explosions to prove the targeted locations were Hezbollah weapons depots. “Every home we struck contains rockets, drones, and missiles intended to kill Israeli civilians,” Hagari stated.

Israeli fighter jets fly over the port city of Haifa on Sept. 23, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

The ongoing clashes have forced tens of thousands to flee northern Israel and southern Lebanon, with deaths reported on both sides. According to officials, the conflict has claimed the lives of 22 IDF soldiers, 26 Israeli civilians, and 506 Hezbollah operatives.

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Burj Qallawiyah, Lebanon, in this screengrab taken from a social media video released on September 23, 2024. Social Media via REUTERS

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah surged last week when electronic devices used by Hezbollah members were detonated in attacks attributed to Israel.

An Israeli jet flies amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from northern Israel, on Sept. 23, 2024. REUTERS

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a series of missile strikes, prompting Israel to respond with an airstrike that killed 16 senior Hezbollah commanders who were allegedly plotting an invasion of northern Israel.

First responders and Israeli security forces gather amid debris and charred vehicles in Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district of Israel, following a reported strike by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Sept. 22, 2024. AFP via Getty Images.

People walk at a beach as smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, south Lebanon on Sept. 23, 2024. REUTERS

Hagari called on residents of south Lebanon to keep away from Hezbollah posts. REUTERS

As both sides brace for the possibility of a full-scale war, U.S. and regional mediators are working to de-escalate the situation. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby acknowledged the heightened tensions, saying, “We want to make sure that we can continue to do everything we can to try to prevent this from becoming an all-out war with Hezbollah across the Lebanese border.”