OAN Staff James Meyers
8:54 AM – Monday, September 23, 2024
The Israeli military said it struck 300 targets on Monday in Lebanon in one of the heaviest air strike attacks in almost a year of fighting against the Hezbollah terrorist group.
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Lebanon’s health ministry has said the strikes have killed almost 200 people and wounded over 300 in the intense attack.
In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that at least 35 more rockets or drones were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, many falling in open areas and were intercepted.
Early Monday, Israel told residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, claiming the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group.
This was the first warning of this matter by the Jewish State in almost a year and just after a heavy back-and-forth exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah launched around 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of terrorists.
Hezbollah began launching missile and drone attacks on Israel immediately after Israel declared war on Hamas in response to the October 7th terrorist attack.
The IDF has increased strikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon for several weeks, vowing to remove the threat they pose to enable the safe return of tens of thousands of residents from towns and villages in Israel’s northern border region who have been evacuated due to the ongoing war.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Saturday and Sunday with Yoav Gallant, Minister of Defense of Israel, amid the escalated war, and he “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself,” according to a readout of the first call from the Pentagon.
Additionally, Austin said during the phone call that it’s been “made clear that the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and personnel and determined to deter any regional actors from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict.”
The airstrikes come after last week, thousands of communications devices were detonated in different parts across Lebanon, killing 39 people and wounding nearly 3,000.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attacks, but the Jewish State did not confirm or deny any responsibility.
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