More than 180 killed in Lebanon as Israel mounts fresh offensive against Hezbollah

At least 182 people were killed and more than 700 wounded, including children, women, and medics, as Israel intensified its strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The latest attacks come amid some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire in almost a year of conflict, as Israel shifts its focus to its northern border, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas, which is fighting a war with Israel in Gaza.

Israel bombarded several areas in Lebanon as its defence force warned people to immediately leave their homes and other buildings where the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group allegedly stores weapons.

Hezbollah in retaliation launched over 100 rockets across areas in northern Israel, with some landing near the northern city of Haifa, Reuters reported.

According to Lebanese officials, the country received more than 80,000 suspected Israeli calls asking people to evacuate. The head of telecoms company Ogero, Imad Kreidieh, confirmed this development to the news agency Reuters, saying such calls were “psychological warfare to cause havoc and chaos”.

As the conflict is set to intensify, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that “we have complicated days ahead”. He stated that he had promised to change the balance of power in the north, and that is exactly what is happening.