Image Credit: AFP
Beirut: The death toll from an Israeli air strike that targeted Hezbollah military commanders in Beirut’s southern suburbs this week has risen to 45, Lebanon’s health ministry said Sunday.
“The number of dead has risen to 45 people,” a ministry statement said, updating an earlier toll of 37 from the Friday attack. It said “work continues to remove the rubble for the third day in a row” and that DNA sampling would be used to determine the identities of some of the bodies.
Israel army says hundreds of thousands take cover after new Hezbollah barrage
The Israeli military said more than 100 projectiles were fired early Sunday from Lebanon, forcing hundreds of thousands to take cover and prompting school closures in Israel’s north.
The military said that “approximately 20 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon” shortly before 5:00 am (0200 GMT), followed by a barrage of “approximately 85 projectiles” launched from Lebanon after 6:00 am (0300 GMT).
Image Credit: AFP
“Hundreds of thousands of people had to take refuge in bomb shelters at that time across northern Israel,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told AFP.
The military in an earlier statement said the rocket fire sparked fires, while Israel’s medical emergency service said at least four people suffered “shrapnel injuries”, three of whom in the area of the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
Israel’s civil defence agency has ordered all schools in the country’s north closed following the rocket fire, the latest escalation in nearly a year of cross-border exchanges throughout the Gaza war.
Educational activities would not be permitted across northern Israel until at least Monday at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), the military’s Home Front Command said, affecting “hundreds of thousands of children” according to Shoshani.
“In Haifa, a lot of school are closed… and offices are empty”, said resident Patrice Wolff, who works in the medical industry.
Dozens of Israeli warplanes strike ‘widely’ in southern Lebanon
Jerusalem: The Israeli military said dozens of warplanes were striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon late Saturday, as cross-border exchanges intensify amid growing fears of all-out war.
Israel also announced additional security measures for the country’s north.
Image Credit: AFP
“In the last hour we are attacking widely in southern Lebanon following the identification of Hezbollah’s preparations to fire into Israeli territory,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement shortly after 8:00 pm (1700 GMT).
“Dozens of air force aircraft are currently attacking terror targets and launchers to eliminate threats against the citizens of Israel.”
“It is possible that rockets and additional threats will be launched towards the country in the near future,” Hagari said in his televised statement.
Earlier in the day the military said it had hit thousands of rocket launcher barrels and other targets belonging to Hezbollah.
The barrages came one day after an Israeli strike on Beirut killed 37 people, according to Lebanese officials, including senior commanders of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Friday’s strike followed sabotage attacks on pagers and two-way radios used by Hezbollah on Tuesday and Wednesday, which killed 39 people.
Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel barracks
Hezbollah said it fired rockets at two military positions in northern Israel on Saturday, as the Israeli military was carrying out new strikes against them.
In separate statements, the Iran-backed group said it fired “a salvo of Katyusha rockets” each at two Israeli barracks “in response” to Israeli attacks “on steadfast southern villages and civilian houses”.
Image Credit: AFP
In a separate statement late Saturday, the military said it was tightening restrictions on public gatherings in northern Israel.
“Gatherings will be limited to 30 participants in an open area, to 300 participants in a closed space,” the statement said.
“Arrival to work is permitted as long as there is a protected space available, and educational activities can continue as long as there are protected spaces available,” the statement added, referring to shelters.
主题测试文章，只做测试使用。发布者：duren0459@gmail.com，转转请注明出处：https://exploremenas.com/death-toll-rises-to-45-from-israeli-strike-on-beirut-lebanon-ministry/
