2.10 p.m.: Following massive air strikes in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has issued a warning to residents of the Bekaa Valley in the northeast of the country. Anyone who is near a house where Hezbollah weapons are hidden should move away, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists. The army called on residents of this area to move at least one kilometer away from such houses within two hours.
He would specifically address the population in the Beqaa Valley. The people there could “see what we are doing in southern Lebanon today.” Each of the approximately 300 targets that the Israeli military attacked today alone was used by Hezbollah as a weapons depot. “In every house we hit there are rockets, drones and missiles that were intended to kill Israeli civilians,” Hagari claims.
The Bekaa Valley is located in northeastern Lebanon, about two hours’ drive from Beirut. The area is where Hezbollah was founded, and some of its most important leaders were born here. The Hezbollah militia is particularly strong here, along with the areas it controls in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
13:18: According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the number of deaths in the Israeli air strikes is rising significantly. At least 100 people have died, the ministry reports. More than 400 have been injured. The victims include children, women and medical personnel.
12.46 pm: According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 50 people were killed and more than 300 injured in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. Women and children were also among the victims.
The Israeli army says it has attacked more than 300 targets today alone. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved Hezbollah targets during discussions at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, the army said.
The military accuses Hezbollah of deliberately hiding weapons in residential buildings, especially in the south of the country. According to Lebanese sources, around 60 villages were shelled. The army had previously issued warnings to the civilian population.
9.49 am: According to a local resident, a rocket hit the east of the Lebanese port city of Byblos. The uninhabited area has so far been spared from air raids. It is located between villages inhabited by Christians and Shiites. The Lebanese state media also reported a rocket hit in the area. Israel continued its attacks on positions of the Shiite Hezbollah militia on Monday.
