Israeli airstrikes kill 492 in Lebanon, deadliest day since 2006

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated to its most lethal point in years on Monday, as Israeli airstrikes killed 492 people in Lebanon, including women and children.

According to a report on India Today NE, the death toll marks the highest in a single day since the 2006 war between the two sides. The strikes targeted Hezbollah strongholds following the militant group's intensified rocket attacks on northern Israel.

In response, Hezbollah launched nearly 200 rockets overnight, setting off alarms in northern Israeli cities, including Haifa, Afula, and Nazareth. The Iran-backed group claimed it aimed at Israeli military bases and airfields. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported most of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, with no significant casualties or damages in Israel.

The surge in violence has raised fears of a broader war in the region, which has been on edge since the Gaza conflict reignited on October 7 last year. As international leaders call for restraint, tensions continue to mount. Tens of thousands of civilians in southern Lebanon have fled towards Beirut to escape the bombardment, as Israeli forces struck 1,600 Hezbollah targets in one of their most intense offensives in recent memory.

Lebanon's health ministry confirmed 1,645 injuries in the attacks, with Monday’s strikes being the deadliest day in Lebanon since the end of the country’s civil war in 1990. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military’s actions are shifting the "security balance" along the northern border, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi hinted at further operations, stating that preparations are underway for "next phases" in Lebanon.

The IDF also released images showing a long-range rocket mounted on a hydraulic launcher hidden in a residential home, highlighting the difficulty of targeting Hezbollah forces embedded within civilian areas. The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides bracing for the possibility of further escalation.

[Information sourced from India Today NE]