Hezbollah: Over 700 killed in Lebanon as Israel rebuffs ceasefire

More than 700 people have been killed in Lebanon since Monday as Israel continues its bombardment, defying global ceasefire calls, including from its ally, the United States.

The strikes have raised fears of a larger regional war, with escalating tension along the Israel-Lebanon border.

On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike hit the outskirts of Beirut, killing two people and injuring 15, including a critically wounded woman, Lebanon’s health ministry reported.

That brought the total death toll from overnight strikes to 28.

The strike also killed Mohammad Surur, a senior commander of Hezbollah’s air force unit, according to security sources.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV broadcast images of smoke rising from a building near Hezbollah facilities, where civilians also live and work.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army conducted exercises simulating a ground invasion as a possible next phase of the conflict.

“We are preparing shoulder to shoulder with Northern Command for a ground maneuver. Prepared, if activated. This is a decision to be made above us,” Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar said in a video shared by the military.

In the U.S., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the U.N. General Assembly, said Israel would continue to strike Hezbollah with “full force and we will not stop until we achieve all our goals.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose government includes Hezbollah elements, had hoped for a ceasefire, but Israel’s stance dashed those expectations.

Aid organisations in Lebanon are scrambling to provide relief as hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.

The U.S., France, and other allies have pushed for a 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border, while Israeli forces continue to target Hezbollah positions and arms transfers from Syria.

Timeline of the conflict

The conflict between Israel and Lebanon has its roots in a long-standing dispute dating back to 1948.

Recent events have significantly escalated tensions, leading to devastating consequences.

In April 2023, the conflict intensified with shellings exchanged between Israel and Lebanon.

This marked the beginning of a period of heightened hostility.

On October 7, 2023, a Hamas-led attack on Israel sparked a renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamist organization. This incident drew in various militant groups and further entrenched the conflict.

Throughout 2024, the conflict continued to escalate with various incidents, including an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the Majdal Shams attack, assassinations of Fuad Shukr and Ismail Haniyeh, the Nabatieh attack, and strikes by both sides in August.

The most severe escalation occurred in September 2024, when Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon resulted in at least 569 fatalities and sparked a mass evacuation of Southern Lebanon.

This was the largest conflict-related loss of life in Lebanon since the Lebanese Civil War.

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