Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Monday, authorities said, after rocket fire by the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah followed the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
Israel’s military vowed to intensify its campaign and make Hezbollah pay a “heavy price”, launching multiple strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of south Lebanon, areas considered strongholds of the group.
The escalation came despite efforts by Lebanese authorities to shield the country from the fallout of a recent US-Israeli attack on Iran. Officials said Hezbollah’s rocket fire had provided Israel with a pretext to step up its bombardment.
Hezbollah’s overnight operation marked the first time the group had claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire aimed at ending more than a year of cross-border hostilities.
In a statement issued around 3:00 am (0100 GMT), Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli military site south of Haifa with “a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones”, describing the strike as retaliation for the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, whom it blamed on Israel following joint US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.
“Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the State of Lebanon and initiated an attack on our civilians… they will pay a heavy price,” said Rafi Milo, head of Israel’s Northern Command, according to a military statement. He added that the strikes would continue and increase in intensity.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported an initial toll of 31 people killed, 20 in Beirut’s southern suburbs and 11 in the south with at least 149 others wounded.
In the capital, strikes hit the upper floors of at least two residential buildings, igniting fires and sending residents fleeing. AFP correspondents reported a mass exodus from the southern suburbs, with families escaping on motorcycles and in cars.
Further south, in the coastal city of Sidon, long lines of vehicles carrying displaced families clogged the roads as people fled the bombardment. Israeli strikes also hit the southern towns of Kfur, Haris and Sultaniya.
Israel has conducted frequent strikes in Lebanon since the 2024 ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of violating the truce.
The group has been significantly weakened by its confrontation with Israel, which began after it entered the conflict in support of Hamas following the Palestinian group’s October 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
On Monday, Israel said it had “precisely struck” senior Hezbollah members in Beirut and southern Lebanon, before issuing evacuation warnings to residents of about 50 towns and villages in the south and east.
“For your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 metres away,” army spokeswoman Ella Waweya said in a statement on X.
The Israeli military said several projectiles fired from Lebanon landed in open areas, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that attacks launched from Lebanese territory risked dragging the country into a broader regional war. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described Hezbollah’s rocket fire as “irresponsible” and pledged to hold those responsible accountable while protecting the Lebanese people.
Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, said Hezbollah had “opened a campaign against Israel overnight” and would bear responsibility for any further escalation.
Lebanese authorities have repeatedly stated that they do not want the country drawn into the widening regional conflict sparked by the recent US-Israeli assault on Iran.
AFP
