Topline
The Israeli military said Monday it completed a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, reportedly killing at least 100 people and injuring more than 400 others in the deadliest day in Lebanon since fighting between Israel and the militant group began in October.
As Israel launched the strikes, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari issued an “advanced warning” to civilians from Lebanese villages in eastern Lebanon “located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes … to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety.”
According to the New York Times, the IDF also published a map highlighting 19 villages and towns in southern Lebanon, but did not say whether all of them would be targeted or needed to be evacuated; Hagari indicated there will likely be more targets in eastern Lebanon.
Loading...
While Israel has issued multiple evacuation orders for civilians in Gaza amid its war against Hamas in the past year, this is the first time it has done so for Lebanese civilians—potentially signaling a more intense aerial campaign.
Hagari told reporters the Israeli military is currently focused on the “aerial campaign only,” but did not explicitly rule out a ground invasion, saying “we will do whatever is needed.”
Crucial Quote
In a statement on X, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday evening and provided him with a “situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on IDF operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. We also discussed the wider regional situation and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”
Key Background
Monday’s airstrikes come a day after Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into Northern Israel on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, Israel conducted multiple air strikes targeting the militant group’s leadership in Lebanon, including senior Hezbollah member Ibrahim Aqil—who the U.S. accused of killing hundreds of Americans in two terror attacks in the 1980s. Earlier in the week, hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and parts of Syria, killing at least a dozen people and injuring more than 2,750. Lebanese officials blamed the attacks on Israel—who hasn’t publicly accepted responsibility—while Hezbollah leaders vowed to retaliate against the Jewish state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government will do whatever is necessary to return residents from northern Israeli cities—who were forced to flee their homes in the areas amid an escalation along the border with Lebanon—back to their homes safely.
What To Watch For
The intensifying military exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah have raised fears that the situation could escalate into an all-out conflict between the two, even as Israel’s war in Gaza is set to enter its second year. On Sunday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told ABC News that the White House was doing “everything we can to try to prevent this from becoming an all-out war there with Hezbollah across that Lebanese border.”
Further Reading
Israel Strikes Hezbollah In Lebanon Again As Death Toll Hits 37 (Forbes)
Loading...