182 Killed in Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanon: Thousands Flee as Strikes Escalate in Southern Lebanon, No Armenians Among Casualties

On Monday, Israeli warplanes launched a series of powerful airstrikes across Lebanon, killing at least 182 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The attacks are the deadliest day in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group. The bombardment targeted Hezbollah sites across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, a region known for hosting Hezbollah’s military presence.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that they struck over 300 Hezbollah targets in what they called a campaign to weaken the militant group’s ability to launch attacks on northern Israel. The strikes come during escalating tensions following attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli territory, including missile launches targeting areas in northern Israel.

As the airstrikes raged, civilians in southern Lebanon rushed to evacuate their homes, creating massive traffic jams on highways leading to Beirut. Thousands fled north, fearing further escalation of violence. The Lebanese health ministry stated that women, children, and medics were among the casualties, with at least 727 people injured. The strikes caused widespread destruction, with large clouds of smoke and fire visible across the southern hills and the Bekaa Valley.

The IDF warns civilians living near Hezbollah sites to leave immediately. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli military, said that civilians residing near areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes should evacuate, as Israel continued its military operations. Hagari also announced an expansion of the bombardment into the Bekaa Valley, further increasing the reach of the conflict.

Shahan Kandaharian, editor-in-chief, publicist, and analyst of the Lebanese Aztag Daily, spoke to The Armenian Report about the ongoing conflict. He observed that recent developments have seen a change in the style and geography of military operations. “Israel has expanded,” he said, “and the surrounding areas are now also being affected.” This expansion of the conflict has turned areas such as the Bekaa Valley into active military zones, a shift that adds complexity to the situation. Kandaharian further noted that while the conflict has intensified, it has not yet reached the scale of an open war, such as the one unfolding in Gaza.

Kandaharian also updated The Armenian Report on the situation facing Lebanon’s Armenian diaspora. “There are no Armenians among the victims,” he said, “but naturally the whole country is in an uncertain, waiting, overstressed situation, and of course the Armenian community of Lebanon bears all the consequences and the war that the people of Lebanon bear.”

The airstrikes followed a stern warning from the United States urging Israel to avoid actions that could lead to an all-out war with Hezbollah. John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, emphasized that the U.S. believed escalating the conflict was not in Israel’s best interest.

In response to the Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah fired dozens of missiles at targets in northern Israel, including a site owned by the Israeli defense company Rafael near Haifa. Although Hezbollah's missile attacks were less intense than the previous day’s barrage of 150 rockets, they still posed a significant threat. One missile reportedly hit a private home in the village of Givat Avni in Israel’s Galilee region.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned citizens to brace for more intense attacks, signaling that Israel was preparing for a prolonged conflict. Gallant said, "We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon... Ahead of us are days when the public will have to show composure and discipline."

As the violence escalated, fears grew that the conflict could spill into a broader land war between Israel and Hezbollah. The current fighting is the most severe since Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel following a major attack on Israel by Hamas in early October. When asked about the possibility of Israeli ground forces entering Lebanon, IDF officials said they would take any necessary steps to neutralize Hezbollah’s threat to northern Israel.

In Lebanon, officials described the airstrikes as devastating. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli attacks as a "war of extermination." He called on the international community to intervene and put pressure on Israel to end its strikes. Mikati echoed concerns expressed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who warned that southern Lebanon could face destruction similar to that seen in Gaza.

In addition to the airstrikes, many Lebanese civilians reported receiving warning calls on their landlines from the Israeli military, advising them to evacuate their homes. These automated calls added to the sense of fear and chaos, with Lebanon’s information minister, Ziad al-Makary, accusing Israel of using "psychological warfare" to further unsettle the population. Lebanese telecom company Ogero reported that over 80,000 automated calls had been made, targeting residents in southern Lebanon.

Among those receiving evacuation warnings were Lebanese government officials, including the country's culture minister, who received a phone call in an unusual Arabic accent, telling him to leave his office immediately.

Videos circulating in Lebanese media showed the devastating aftermath of the airstrikes, with buildings reduced to rubble and paramedics working frantically to assist the injured. Schools in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs were closed in response to the violence. Hospitals in Lebanon’s south were instructed to cancel non-urgent surgeries to make room for the injured, while hospitals in northern Israel began moving their operations further south.

The latest surge in violence follows a string of prior attacks, including the detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon, which killed 37 people and injured over 3,000. Hezbollah blames Israel for the detonations, though Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.