At least 31 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, as conflict widens

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of at least 31 individuals, according to local authorities. This escalation follows rocket fire from Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Tehran, after the death of Iran’s supreme leader. The Israeli military has pledged to increase its attacks on Lebanon, warning that Hezbollah will face a “heavy price” for its actions. Strikes have been launched on southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon, areas controlled by Hezbollah. Lebanese officials, who are trying to keep their country out of the conflict stemming from US-Israeli actions against Iran, stated that Hezbollah’s rocket fire has provided Israel with “excuses” to escalate its military response. The recent attack by Hezbollah on Israel marks the first time the group has claimed responsibility for an action against Israel since a ceasefire in November 2024, which aimed to end over a year of fighting between the two sides. Hezbollah announced that it targeted an Israeli military site near Haifa “with a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones.” They stated that this attack was in “retaliation for the pure blood” of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom they accused Israel of killing during a joint operation with the United States on Saturday. Rafi Milo, the head of the Israeli military’s Northern Command, commented, “Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the State of Lebanon and initiated an attack on our civilians... they will pay a heavy price.” He added that the strikes would continue and their intensity would increase, as stated in a military release shortly after the first strikes. Lebanon’s health ministry reported an “initial toll” of 31 deaths in the Israeli strikes, with 20 in Beirut’s southern suburbs and 11 in the south, along with at least 149 individuals injured.