50 Children Among 558 Killed in Israeli Strikes

Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday killed 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women, making it the deadliest day of cross-border violence since 2006. Hezbollah retaliated by launching nearly 200 rockets towards northern Israel, hitting cities like Haifa, Afula, and Nazareth.
This latest flare-up in violence follows the October 2023 Gaza conflict, raising fears of a full-scale war in the region, with multiple nations urging restraint.

Escalation in Israel-Hezbollah Tensions:

The Israeli military struck 1,600 Hezbollah targets, leading tens of thousands of people in southern Lebanon to flee towards Beirut. According to the Lebanese health ministry, the strikes killed 492 people and injured 1,645, marking the highest single-day death toll since the end of Lebanon’s civil war in 1990.
Hezbollah’s retaliatory rocket attacks on northern Israel resulted in no reported casualties, thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the military was changing the “security balance” along the northern border. IDF Chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the army was preparing for the “next phases” in Lebanon.
The IDF released images of long-range rockets hidden in civilian homes in Lebanon, ready to be launched at Israeli cities. They claimed over 1,300 such targets, including long-range missiles, were destroyed.

US Response:

US President Joe Biden was briefed on the latest developments and emphasized his administration’s efforts to de-escalate the conflict. A US State Department spokesperson reiterated Washington’s readiness to defend its “allies and partners,” while the Pentagon announced additional troop deployments to the Middle East.
France has called for a UN Security Council meeting, while Egypt urged immediate intervention by the UN.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying to provoke a larger Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz blamed Hezbollah for using civilians as human shields, leading to the high death toll.

International Impact:

Amid escalating violence, Egypt’s national carrier EgyptAir and Jordan suspended all flights to Beirut due to the unfolding events. This comes as Israel continues to warn civilians in Beirut to evacuate areas with known Hezbollah weapons caches, further intensifying tensions in the region.