Israel-Hezbollah Conflict: 50 Children Among 558 Killed in Lebanon Amid Escalating Cross-Border Strikes

Jerusalem: Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets killed 558 people in Lebanon, including 50 children and 94 women, marking the deadliest day in cross-border clashes since 2006. In retaliation, Hezbollah launched nearly 200 rockets into northern Israel, heightening fears of a wider regional conflict.

Key Developments in the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict:

• Tens of thousands of people fled southern Lebanon as Israel struck 1,600 Hezbollah sites in its most intense operation in nearly a year.
• The Lebanese Health Ministry reported 492 deaths, including many women and children, with 1,645 people injured in Israeli airstrikes.
• Hezbollah’s retaliatory rocket fire targeted several Israeli military bases and airfields, with Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting most of the rockets, preventing casualties or significant damage.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the strikes are changing the “security balance” along the northern border. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, hinted at further military actions in Lebanon.
• The IDF shared images of long-range rockets hidden in civilian homes in Lebanon, ready to target Israel.
• US President Joe Biden stressed the need for de-escalation, while the Pentagon indicated plans to deploy more troops to the Middle East.
• Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents in Beirut, urging them to distance themselves from Hezbollah strongholds.
• International reactions intensified, with France requesting a UN Security Council meeting and Egypt calling for international intervention. Iran accused Israel of trying to provoke a wider conflict, while Israel blamed Hezbollah for civilian casualties.
• EgyptAir and Jordan suspended flights to Beirut due to the escalating conflict.