The death toll in Lebanon has tragically climbed to 558 following a barrage of Israeli airstrikes on Monday, according to the Lebanese Health Minister, Firass Abiad. This includes 50 children and 94 women, making it the deadliest single day of violence since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Minister Abiad vehemently refuted Israel’s assertions that their strikes targeted solely combat forces. He declared, “The truth, unfortunately, is that the vast majority, if not all, of those killed in yesterday’s attacks were unarmed people in their homes.” He further revealed that 1,835 people were injured and are currently receiving treatment in 54 hospitals.
Among the casualties were four rescuers from the Risala Scout association, a group affiliated with Hezbollah ally Amal. Several militant organizations operate health centers and emergency response operations in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli air force continued its offensive on Tuesday, claiming to have successfully struck over 1,600 Hezbollah targets within Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, for its part, has maintained its rocket attacks into northern Israel, some of which have ignited fires. Overnight, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israeli military bases and an airfield.
This latest surge in violence comes on top of the casualties sustained last week from the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies. A World Health Organization official has expressed concerns about the strain placed on hospitals overwhelmed by the influx of casualties.
