Jerusalem/Beirut. Israel carried out its biggest air strike in recent times in Lebanon, killing at least 356 people and injuring more than 1,246. Lebanon’s Health Ministry gave this information. Meanwhile, the Israeli army says that it is preparing for the next phase of the attack. News agency Xinhua quoted Lebanese health officials as saying that those killed in the Israeli air strike on Monday included 24 children and 42 women. Many victims have still not been identified. Israel’s extensive air strikes in Lebanon have brought the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a peak. This has increased the possibility of a wider regional conflict. The reason for the increase in hostility is the mysterious explosions targeting pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon last week. Many people were killed in these and thousands were injured. Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi announced on Monday evening that the country was preparing for the “next phases” of its military operation.
Halevi said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had struck about 1,100 targets in southern and eastern Lebanon. “We are attacking targets and preparing for the next steps,” he said. On Monday, Israeli airstrikes in Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karki. Karki is described in Israeli media as the ‘last deputy’ of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah later said he was ‘fully healthy’ and had been taken to a safe location. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was working to change the ‘security balance’ in the north. He also issued a stern warning to Nasrallah during a security assessment meeting on Monday, saying ‘everyone is a target.’
Israeli attacks have caused widespread destruction and displacement in Lebanon. Residents from cities such as Tyre, Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Tuffa are fleeing to Beirut and Mount Lebanon. In response to Israeli attacks, Hezbollah fired more than 180 rockets towards northern Israel throughout Monday. The Israeli army gave this information and said that air defense systems intercepted some rockets, while others fell on Israeli territory, causing a fire. Magen David Adom of the Rescue Service reported that five people were injured by shrapnel. Hezbollah said in a statement that it bombed several Israeli military bases. These include the reserve headquarters of the Israeli army’s Northern Corps and the military-industrial complex of Rafael, north of Haifa.