Deadliest day in Israel-Hezbollah conflict claims 492 lives in Lebanon as fears of all-out war rise

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated to its deadliest point in years on Monday, with Israeli airstrikes killing 492 people in Lebanon, including women and children, marking the highest death toll in a single day since the 2006 war between the two sides. The strikes, which targeted Hezbollah strongholds, came in response to the Lebanese militant group's intensified rocket attacks on northern Israel.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched nearly 200 rockets overnight, triggering alarms in northern Israeli cities such as Haifa, Afula, and Nazareth. The Iran-backed group claimed its rockets targeted Israeli military bases and airfields. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the majority of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, with no significant casualties or damages recorded in Israel.

The cross-border violence has ignited concerns of a full-scale war in the region, which has been on edge since the Gaza conflict flared up on October 7 last year. As international leaders call for restraint, tensions continue to escalate. In southern Lebanon, tens of thousands of civilians fled towards Beirut to escape the relentless bombardment, with Israeli forces having struck 1,600 Hezbollah targets in one of their most intense military offensives in the past year.

Lebanon's health ministry confirmed that 1,645 people were injured in the attacks, with Monday’s toll marking the deadliest day for Lebanon since its civil war ended in 1990. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the military’s operations are shifting the "security balance" along the northern border, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi hinted at further military action, stating preparations are underway for the "next phases" in Lebanon.

The IDF also released images showing a long-range rocket mounted on a hydraulic launcher hidden within a residential home in Lebanon, emphasizing the challenges posed by Hezbollah’s tactics of embedding military assets in civilian areas. The situation remains volatile, with both sides bracing for what could be a new chapter in the enduring conflict.

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