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BEIRUT — At least 15 people were killed and dozens were injured in Lebanon Wednesday, the health ministry said, after the Israeli military launched another wave of what it said were “extensive strikes” on the south of the country.
Earlier in the day, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets into Israel, including a longer-range projectile that set off air ride sirens in Tel Aviv and central Israel as both sides teether closer to all-out war.
Israel said it had intercepted the projectile and that there were no reports of casualties or damage.
Overnight into Wednesday, the Israel military said it had targeted several Hezbollah sites, including weapons storage facilities that set off secondary explosions.
They also said they had identified, struck and destroyed a building in the area of Nafakhiyeh in southern Lebanon that launched a missile toward Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander on Tuesday as part of a two-day bombing campaign that left more than 560 people dead and displaced thousands in southern Lebanon as they sought refuge.
Families that fled southern Lebanon flocked to Beirut and Sidon, sleeping in schools turned into shelters, cars, parks, and along the beach.
Many also tried to leave the country, causing a traffic jam at the border with Syria — with some electing to move to the neighboring country in its 14th year of civil war amidst fear of an escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Issa Baydoud fled the village of Shihine when it was bombed and drove to Beirut with his extended family. They slept in vehicles on the side of the road because shelters were full.
“We struggled a lot on the road just to get here,” said Baydoun, who rejected Israel’s contention that it only hit military targets. “We evacuated our homes because Israel is targeting civilians and attacking them.”
When asked about the expected duration of Israel’s operations in Lebanon, military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that it aims to keep them “as short as possible, that’s why we’re attacking with great force. At the same time, we must be prepared for it to take longer.”
Tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have steadily escalated over the past 11 months. Hezbollah has been firing rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and its ally Hamas.
Israel has responded with increasingly heavy airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders while threatening a wider operation.
The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting about Lebanon for Wednesday at the request of France.
Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 564 people were killed in Israeli strikes since Monday, including 50 children and 94 women, and that more than 1,800 have been wounded.
It was a staggering toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on communication devices last week that killed dozens and injured nearly 3,000 — many of them civilians.
Lebanon blamed Israel for that attack, but Israel did not confirm or deny responsibility. — Euronews
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