Israel Hezbollah War: 'Preparing for next phases': Israel after 274 killed in Lebanon

Israeli defence minister says today is a significant peak, we have taken out of order tens of thousands of rockets and precise munition

Israel's army chief said the country's strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday were hitting combat infrastructure Hezbollah had been building for two decades.

"Essentially, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years," Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said in a statement, adding the army was "preparing for the next phases" of the operation.

The Israeli military is preparing for the next stage of its operation in Lebanon after launching a wave of air strikes against Hezbollah targets on Monday morning, the military chief of the general staff Herzi Halevi said.

"Essentially, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years. This is very significant. We are striking targets and preparing for the next phases," he said in a statement, giving no details but adding that he would "elaborate shortly".

A source close to Hezbollah said an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday targeted the group's commander for south Lebanon, where the movement has clashed with Israel for nearly a year.

"The target of the Israeli strike was Ali Karake, the current commander of the southern front and the third-in-command after" two top commanders who were both killed in Israeli strikes in the southern suburbs in recent weeks, said the source requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. It was unclear whether he had been killed, the source said.

Israeli military hit Beirut's southern region. Earlier Israel announced that they had struck around 800 Hezbollah targets in the morning.

Israeli military says it has struck approximately 800 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and Bekaa since this morning

The United States is concerned by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) raid and shutdown of media network Al Jazeera's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.

"This action is inconsistent with U.S. support for freedom of the press in the West Bank and all over the world," the spokesperson said. The U.S. is still gathering information about the IDF operation on Sunday, they said.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon warned Monday that further escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border risked having "devastating" regional consequences, as Israel said it hit Hezbollah targets and the group struck back.

"Any further escalation of this dangerous situation could have far-reaching and devastating consequences, not only for those living on both sides of the Blue Line but also for the broader region," the UNIFIL peacekeeping force said in a statement, referring to the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.

Lebanon Hezbollah says it targeted military base in northern Israel with dozens of missiles -Statement

Netanyahu says Israel 'does not wait for threat' but 'preempts it' after strikes on Lebanon. He also said that Israel is changing security balance on northern border

The Iranian foreign ministry issued a stern warning to Israel on Monday, cautioning of potentially severe repercussions following deadly attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon. Nasser Kanani, the ministry's spokesman, denounced the Israeli strikes as "insane" and forewarned about "the dangerous consequences of the Zionists' new adventure".

According to the Lebanese health ministry, the Israeli air strikes, which targeted Hezbollah forces backed by Iran in southern Lebanon, resulted in the deaths of at least 182 people, including children. These attacks represent the most significant escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7.

Kanani asserted that Israel's "crimes" in Palestinian territories and their "expansion to Lebanon are a clear example of a serious threat to regional and international peace". He vehemently denounced the United States' support for Israel and urged the United Nations Security Council "to take immediate action to stop these crimes".

sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday Israel faced "complicated days" as it stepped up strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and he called on Israelis to stay united as the campaign unfolded.

"I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of power in the north - that is exactly what we are doing," he said in a message issued following a situational assessment at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday condemned Israeli strikes on south Lebanon which saw the deadliest bombardment in nearly a year of cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.

"We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, affirm that this wide-scale barbaric aggression is a war crime," Hamas said in a statement, adding that the group reaffirmed "our solidarity... with our brothers in Hezbollah and the brotherly Lebanese people".

Lebanon's health ministry announced that a total of 182 people were killed in the latest Israeli strikes on their country.

Lebanese interior minister opens schools in Beirut, Tripoli and eastern and southern Lebanon as shelters amid 'heavy displacement' of Lebanese -Statement

Israeli aircraft are preparing to attack Hezbollah strategic weapons stashed in houses in Lebanon's Bekaa valley, the Israeli military spokesperson said on Monday, calling on civilians to evacuate immediately.

"The sights now from south Lebanon are of secondary explosions of Hezbollah weapons, which are exploding inside houses. In every house we are attacking there are weapons. Rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles that were meant for and aimed at killing Israeli civilians," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.

Israeli military spokesman, asked about possibility of ground invasion says Israel has begun a widescale aerial offensive in Lebanon. Israeli military spokesman also said that the houses in Bekaa contain missiles and drones and "we will attack them before they are fired at Israel."

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 41,455 people have been killed in the war between Israel and Palestinian militants, now in its 12th month.

The toll includes 24 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 95,878 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shiite Islam's highest authority in Iraq, appealed Monday for "every possible effort" to end Israeli "aggression" against Lebanon, where it is targeting the Shiite Hezbollah movement.

Sistani called for "the exercise of every possible effort" to end this "barbaric aggression and to protect the Lebanese people".

He urged "believers" to "contribute towards easing the suffering" of the Lebanese people and help "meet their humanitarian needs".

Such comments from Sistani are relatively rare.

Lebanon said that at least 100 people were killed and over 400 injured in an Israeli strike in the South.

The ministry said that the preliminary toll included women and children.

The airstrikes hit wide areas in southern and northeastern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it struck 300 targets in Lebanon as it steps up pressure against the Hezbollah militant group.

The army announced the strikes on the social media platform X, posting a photo of what is said was the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, approving additional attacks from military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

In a new statement, Lebanon's Hezbollah said that it launched rockets at Israeli military posts after Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and Bekaa.

After dozens of strikes, Lebanon's education minister on Monday said schools in the country's east and south as well as in Beirut's southern suburbs would shut for two days. In a statement, Education Minister Abbas Halabi "announced the closure of public and private schools" Monday and Tuesday in the areas due to "security and military situations" that "pose a danger to the movement of students".

The Israeli military said it had targeted more than 300 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon in a wave of air strikes that began early on Monday. "So far more than 300 Hezbollah sites have been targeted" since Monday morning, the military said in a statement. It earlier said more than 150 air strikes were carried out within just one hour, between 6:30 am (3:30 GMT) and 7:30 am.

The Kremlin voices 'extreme concern' after looking at accelerating Israel-Hezbollah conflict. "The situation is swiftly deteriorating every day. Tension is growing, unpredictability is increasing. This is a matter of extreme concern for us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

The Israeli military said on Monday it carried out about 150 strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the course of one hour beginning at 6:30 am (0330 GMT). "In the morning there were about 150 strikes," a military spokesperson told AFP, specifying that they took place until 7:30 am.

The rocket sirens that went off recently in communities near the Lebanon border were false alarms, according to the IDF. The sirens were triggered in Jish, Kerem Ben Zimra, Kadita, and the Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone due to a "false identification" caused by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, the military said.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant urged the public to remain calm following the military's most extensive airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah, targeting southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and northern areas near Syria.

“We are intensifying our attacks in Lebanon, and operations will continue until our goal of safely returning northern residents to their homes is achieved,” Gallant said in a video released by his office on Monday. “These are times when the Israeli public must remain composed.”

Earlier, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned of imminent airstrikes on homes in Lebanon where "Hezbollah stores weapons."

According to a Reuters reporter in southern Lebanon, residents received phone calls instructing them to stay at least 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) away from Hezbollah positions.

Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary confirmed that his ministry had received a similar evacuation call but dismissed it as part of a "psychological war." Makary told Reuters the ministry would not comply with the evacuation order.

In an earlier televised statement, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reiterated the warning, noting that it was being widely broadcast in Arabic on various platforms across Lebanon.

On Monday, the Israeli military urged residents of southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate buildings where Hezbollah stores weapons, announcing "extensive strikes" on the group. This marked the first such warning in nearly a year of rising tensions, following a heavy exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah retaliated with around 150 rockets, missiles, and drones aimed at northern Israel after Israeli strikes killed a top Hezbollah commander and multiple fighters.

Despite the warnings, there was no immediate sign of mass evacuations from southern Lebanese villages.

The escalating conflict has sparked concerns of a broader war, as Israel continues its battle with Palestinian Hamas in Gaza and works to free hostages taken during the October 7 Hamas attack. Hezbollah has pledged to maintain its strikes in solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians, while Israel remains focused on restoring calm along the border.

Lebanon's official media said on Monday that citizens were receiving evacuation warnings via phone calls from Israel. The Information Minister Ziad Makary's office confirmed to AFP that it had received one such call.

The warnings followed the Israeli military’s directive for people in Lebanon to distance themselves from Hezbollah targets, along with a promise of more "extensive and precise" strikes against the Iran-backed group.

This marked the first official warning from the Israeli military to Lebanese citizens since the Gaza conflict began nearly a year ago.

The National News Agency (NNA) stated that "citizens in Beirut and various areas are receiving landline calls from the Israeli enemy, urging them to evacuate immediately."

The warnings were described as "part of the psychological warfare" by the NNA. Makary’s office, located in Beirut near several ministries, also reported receiving a landline call with a recorded message advising evacuation to avoid potential strikes.

We are deepening attacks in Lebanon, said Israel defence minister. Israeli public will have to show composure in coming days, he added.

Israel's air force conducted dozens of airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Monday, according to state media and the Israeli military. Residents from various villages shared photos on social media, claiming to show their towns under attack. The state-run National News Agency also reported strikes in multiple areas.

An Arab-language spokesperson for the Israeli military stated that the air force was targeting Hezbollah-related sites, adding that more details would follow.

This wave of airstrikes followed a tense day in which Hezbollah launched over 100 rockets into northern Israel, some landing near Haifa. Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes.

Hezbollah's rocket attack was triggered by an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday that killed a senior Hezbollah military commander, over a dozen Hezbollah members, and numerous civilians, including women and children.

Last week, thousands of communications devices, primarily used by Hezbollah members, exploded across Lebanon, resulting in 39 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries. Lebanon attributed the explosions to Israel, but Israel did not confirm or deny involvement.

On Monday, the Israeli military advised people in Lebanon to move away from Hezbollah targets and warned of more "extensive and precise" strikes against the group. "We urge civilians in Lebanese villages near Hezbollah military sites, such as weapon storage areas, to evacuate for their safety," said military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in a briefing.

"The IDF will conduct more extensive and targeted strikes on terror sites embedded throughout Lebanon," he added.

The Israeli military announced on Monday that it was carrying out extensive strikes on targets belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. No additional details about the strikes were provided, which occur amidst some of the most intense cross-border exchanges in nearly a year of conflict.

Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets into northern Israel early Sunday, some landing near Haifa, as Israel conducted hundreds of airstrikes on Lebanon. A Hezbollah leader announced that an "open-ended battle" had begun, with both sides edging closer to full-scale war.

The rocket attacks followed Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which have claimed dozens of lives, including that of a senior Hezbollah commander. The strikes also targeted the group’s communication systems. Air raid sirens across northern Israel sent hundreds of thousands into bomb shelters.

One rocket hit near a residential area in Kiryat Bialik, close to Haifa, injuring at least three people and igniting fires in buildings and cars. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported four people were wounded.

Early Sunday, Israeli forces stormed the Al Jazeera office in Ramallah, West Bank, delivering a military order to shut it down, according to both the network and the Israeli military.

Live footage broadcast by the Qatar-based channel showed Israeli troops entering the office with weapons drawn and handing a 45-day closure order to bureau chief Walid al-Omari.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel has inflicted "a series of blows" on Hezbollah in recent days that the group "could not have anticipated."

In a video statement on Sunday, Netanyahu warned, "If Hezbollah hasn't gotten the message yet, I assure you, they will." He reaffirmed Israel’s determination to restore security in the north, stating, "We are committed to ensuring the safe return of our northern residents ... and we will take whatever steps necessary to restore peace."

Israel’s defense minister said that military operations against Hezbollah will persist until residents in northern Israel can safely return to their homes.

On Sunday, world leaders urged Israel and Hezbollah, backed by Iran, to de-escalate their conflict as the war in Gaza risked spreading across the region. The two sides have exchanged regular fire since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 ignited the conflict in Gaza.

Concerns over a broader regional war surged this week, with intensified fighting leading to Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed dozens, including key Hezbollah commanders.