More than 450 people were killed and 1,600 others were injured in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Monday, officials said, marking the deadliest day of strikes from Israel in the country since the 2006 war.
In a speech Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the people of Lebanon to “get out of harm’s way” while Israel targets Hezbollah positions, and that his country is not at war with them, but with the Iran-backed militant group.
Netanyahu warned Israel is changing the “balance of power” on its northern front and that Israelis faced “complex days,” while the Israeli military said it is “preparing for the next phases” following the deadly strikes.
As fears of a wider regional war grow, Hezbollah’s second-in-command said “a battle without limits” was underway and the group launched some of its deepest strikes inside Israel in decades.
Meanwhile, Israel is considering a plan to force all Palestinians out of northern Gaza to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages.
