Israeli Air Strikes Result in 492 Fatalities in Lebanon
According to the country ‘s health ministry , on the most tragic day of the conflict in Lebanon in almost 20 years, at least 492 people were killed in extensive and intense Israeli air strikes targeting Hezbollah .
As the Israeli military said it hit 1,600 Hezbollah targets in an operation to destroy infrastructure that the armed group had built up since the 2006 war, thousands of families also fled their homes.
However , the IDF reports that Hezbollah has launched more than 200 missiles towards northern Israel . According to paramedics , two people were injured by shrapnel .
The world ‘s most powerful countries have called for caution as the two sides appear to be moving ever closer to all – out war .
Lebanon ‘s health ministry said 35 children and 58 women were among the dead , while 1,645 others had been injured .
It was not reported how many of the dead were civilians or soldiers.
Health Minister Firass Abiad said many families were also affected by the strikes .
UN Secretary – General António Guterres expressed concern about the escalating situation and said he did not want Lebanon to ” become another Gaza . “
Ahead of a meeting of world leaders at the UN in New York, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief , said the ” escalation is very dangerous and worrying ” , adding that ” we are almost in a full – blown war “.
The Pentagon announced it was deploying ” a small number” of additional troops to the Middle East “out of an abundance of caution,” while President Joe Biden said the United States was ” working to de – escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely . “
Nearly a year of border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah , fueled by the war in Gaza , has killed hundreds of people , most of them Hezbollah fighters , and displaced hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border .
Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of Hamas and will not stop until there is a truce in Gaza . Iran supports both organizations and has declared them terrorist organizations by Israel, the United Kingdom and other countries.
The Pentagon said it was sending ” a small number ” of additional US troops to the Middle East amid the escalating crisis .
“We are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” said Maj Gen Pat Ryder, spokesman for the Pentagon, during a briefing with reporters.
He would not respond to any subsequent questions about the details.
Early Tuesday, the IDF said it had detected 20 launches from Lebanon “in the valleys area”, adding some were intercepted by air defense fighters and others fell in open areas.
