Israel claims to have destroyed thousands of rockets.
Lebanon reported 500 dead, including women and children, as a result of yesterday’s Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets. Another 1,600 people, according to the statement, were injured.
The Wall Street Journal writes about it.
Israel announced strikes on more than 1,300 military infrastructure targets, including cruise missiles, medium- and short-range missiles, drones and fighters. The target was also the leader of “Hezbollah” Ali Karaki, who is under anti-terrorist sanctions of the United States, informed sources of journalists.
However, Livan assured that Karaki is alive.
“We destroyed thousands of rockets that were fired at cities in Israel and Israeli citizens“, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
On Monday, the Israeli government decided to impose a “special situation” in the country for a period of one week, which gives the authority to apply restrictions in communities. Such restrictions have long been in place in the north of Israel near the border with Lebanon, and now they have been expanded.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari warned that the strikes would continue and urged Lebanese residents to stay away from the militants’ targets. From which exactly – he did not specify. The Lebanese said that they received warnings on their phones before the strikes. Jinaj Hamieh, 26, said she received a call warning that her place of residence would soon be under attack, so she had to get out.
“We did not take the message seriously. We are at war and this is one of its forms“, she commented.
However, not long after, her city was hit.
Some Lebanese residents and officials reported receiving voice and text messages urging them to evacuate. The Minister of Information received such a message in his own office.
Against the background of the worsening situation, the US Department of Defense announced on Monday that it is sending new forces to the Middle East, but did not specify for what period and for what mission.
“In light of rising tensions in the Middle East, and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel to augment our forces already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment or provide details” said the riverman, Air Force Major General Pat Ryder.
The additional force is about two dozen military personnel who could assist in the event of an evacuation, a defense official said.