The Lebanese Health Ministry revealed on Monday evening that the number of victims of Israeli raids on areas in southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Baalbek has risen to 492 deaths, and 1,645 injuries.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanese Health Ministry explained that amongst the deceased are 35 children and 58 women.
France called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council regarding Israel’s escalating assault on Lebanon, according to the AlQaher News Channel.
Escalating war
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated, with Hezbollah earlier announcing that it has carried out attacks on military targets in northern Israel, while Israeli aircraft carried out bombing operations targeting areas in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said that it attacked Israeli military industries complexes with dozens of missiles in response for the detonation of Hezbollah’s pager devices across Lebanon.
The spokesperson for the Israeli army, Nadav Shoshani, told Agence France-Presse, “Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to take refuge in shelters in northern Israel.”
An expert at the Egyptian Center for Thought and Strategic Studies, Sobhi Assila, said that the strikes that Benjamin Netanyahu is directing at Hezbollah leave it with two bitter choices.
He explained that if Hezbollah responds violently it will ignite a large-scale war that Netanyahu desires, and if the party does not respond, its image will be tarnished and Netanyahu will appear victorious.
The popularity of Netanyahu and his Likud party is increasing against the backdrop of the confrontation with Hezbollah, Assila added.
