Northern Lebanon in turmoil as Israeli airstrikes leave 492 dead

The Israeli army reported that as part of the "Northern Arrows" operation, its air force attacked approximately 1,300 Hezbollah targets, which in response launched over 200 rockets at Israel.

Among the fatalities were 35 children and 58 women. Earlier, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the death toll was at least 356, with more than 1,200 injured. This is the bloodiest attack on Lebanon since the shelling began in the autumn of 2023 and since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, which claimed the lives of over a thousand Lebanese and more than 100 Israelis.

Before the airstrikes, Israeli forces called on residents of southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate from areas where Hezbollah hides weapons, marking the first such warning in the nearly year-long conflict. The airstrikes covered southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley in the northeast, and Beirut.

Thousands of people are fleeing from southern Lebanon to the north, causing traffic jams on the main roads — the Associated Press reported. The military stated that Hezbollah fired over 200 rockets at Israel, including missiles with a range of over 100 kilometres (62 miles), which was the first such attack since 08:00 BST on 8 October 2023.

The Israeli army destroyed tens of thousands of rockets and announced further actions against the Iran-backed group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is changing the balance of power in the north by eliminating thousands of Hezbollah rockets, fighters, and commanders. "We are not waiting for the threat; we are preempting it."

The Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces announced that the offensive against Hezbollah is codenamed "Northern Arrows". Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah has been regularly shelling northern Israel, which in turn has been met with Israeli counterstrikes. In recent days, attacks have intensified to a level not seen in years.

Israel declares that its goal is to restore security in the north so that tens of thousands of evacuated civilians can return. Hezbollah considered a terrorist organisation by the West, emphasised that it is conducting airstrikes on Israel in solidarity with Hamas. The fighting will end if a ceasefire is agreed upon in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon, was founded in the early 1980s as a movement opposing Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted until 2000. Since then, there have been skirmishes at the border, which escalated into a war lasting over a month in 2006.