Death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon rises to 52

By Stephanie Rady

BEIRUT, Lebanon / ISTANBUL (AA) – At least 52 people were killed and 154 others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanese authorities.

In a statement, the government's Disaster Management Unit said Israeli warplanes carried out 221 airstrikes in the country since early Monday.

The Lebanese Health Ministry had earlier put the death toll at 31, with 149 other people injuried.

The attacks came after Hezbollah said that it had targeted a military site in northern Israel with a barrage of rockets and drones, in response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon and a joint US-Israeli military offensive against Iran.

The US and Israel continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

Since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect in late November 2024, Israel has committed near-daily violations in Lebanon that have killed hundreds of people.

Israel began its offensive against Lebanon in October 2023 and escalated it into a full-scale war in September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and wounding about 17,000.