Air attacks kill dozens as Hezbollah resists Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon
Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, hitting Beirut, southern, and eastern regions, killing at least 20 people and wounding 24, as its ground offensive against Hezbollah intensified.
In the capital, a building in the Bashoura neighborhood was demolished following an evacuation warning, leaving at least six dead and dozens injured. Israeli forces claimed Hezbollah had stored cash in the structure. Smoke and devastation marked the streets, with surrounding areas heavily damaged.
Across southern Lebanon, Israel issued evacuation orders for towns near the Zahrani River and Tyre, while early-morning strikes targeted Al-Burj Al-Shamali and four homes in Sahmar in the Bekaa Valley, killing at least four people there.
The conflict has now claimed over 912 lives in Lebanon, including 111 children, and injured more than 2,200 since Israel launched the offensive on March 2. More than one million people have been displaced, prompting warnings from the United Nations that attacks on civilian areas may constitute war crimes under international law.
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem outlined conditions for ending the war, including halting attacks, allowing displaced civilians to return, releasing detainees, and Israeli withdrawal. Forces remain active in southern Lebanon, attempting to repel Israel’s advance.
The conflict began after the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on February 28, prompting Hezbollah to fire rockets into northern Israel. Since then, Israel has killed over 2,000 people across Iran and Lebanon, escalating tensions across the region.
International reactions are mounting. France’s special envoy stressed that negotiations, not disarmament demands, are key to resolving the crisis, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that Israel’s ground offensive risks worsening the humanitarian disaster.
The ongoing assault underscores the growing humanitarian and geopolitical crisis, with the Lebanese population caught amid escalating military operations and civilian displacement.
Source: Al Jazeera