Israel Warns Lebanese As Intense Strikes Target Hezbollah

Israel’s military pounded Hezbollah targets in south and east Lebanon Monday and said more strikes were coming, warning Lebanese to stay out of harm’s way despite international calls for restraint.

After nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, the strikes since the weekend are the most intense since the outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last October 7.

Israel said more than 300 Hezbollah sites had been targeted on Monday in dozens of strikes.

Israel military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari made a first of its kind appeal to people in Lebanon, telling them to avoid potential targets linked to Hezbollah as strikes would “go on for the near future”.

Hagari said Israel’s military “will engage in (more) extensive and precise strikes against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon”.

He urged civilians “to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety”.

Hezbollah, a powerful political and military force in Lebanon, says it is acting in “support” of Hamas.

Ahead of the annual General Assembly, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned of Lebanon becoming “another Gaza” and said it was “clear that both sides are not interested in a ceasefire” there.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported “more than 80 air strikes in half an hour”, targeting south Lebanon, as well as “intense raids” in the Bekaa Valley to the east, where it said a shepherd was killed.

Hezbollah said one of its fighters was killed but gave no details.

The health ministry reported 34 wounded and told hospitals in the south and east to stop all non-urgent surgery “to make space to treat the wounded”.

The education minister said schools in the east and south as well as in Beirut’s southern suburbs would close for two days.

Explosions around Baalbek in the east triggered flashes of fire and sent smoke billowing into the sky.