Israel states that the military struck 1,300 Hezbollah targets in the past 24 hours, according to AFP. According to the Ministry of Health in Beirut, close to 500 people have been killed and around 1,645 have been injured, among them over 20 children.
Israel has, among other things, carried out attacks against southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley in the east and against a suburb of Beirut where the target is said to have been the third highest leader of Hezbollah, Ali Karaki. However, Hezbollah states that Karaki is unharmed.
According to its own statement, the Iranian-backed Shia militia Hezbollah responded by firing rockets at five targets in northern Israel, including Haifa.
“Panic in Lebanon”
SVT’s correspondent Samir Abu Eid, who is on the ground in Tel Aviv, says that most Israelis he has spoken to support the government’s offensive. Around 60,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes in the northern part of the country since the start of the Gaza war.
– Especially those who come from the northern parts of Israel and were forced to evacuate from there believe that it is necessary for the Israeli army to attack Hezbollah.
In Lebanon, public opinion is different, says SVT’s correspondent Stina Blomgren who is on the ground in Beirut.
– Absolutely not everyone supports Hezbollah, many absolutely do not want war.
During the day, 80,000 people received text and audio messages from Israel asking them to evacuate. Already before today, 100,000 Lebanese have fled the border area.
– The panic has been great today. The roads have been completely clogged, says Blomgren.
The US is sending more troops to the region
The White House has not commented on the attacks, but the US defense headquarters, the Pentagon, says it will increase its military presence and send more troops to the Middle East.
Exactly how big the reinforcement will be is not stated. The US currently has around 40,000 soldiers in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that “complicated days” lie ahead.