Panicked flight

Lebanon: dozens dead after Israeli attacks

Rescue workers search through the rubble looking for missing people in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Hassan Ammar)

The Middle East is not coming to rest. According to information from Israel, more than 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon were attacked on Monday - the attacks are now to be extended to the east of the country. The Lebanese government now counts more than 350 dead and almost 1700 injured. Residents panicked - huge traffic jams formed heading north.

Children, women and medical staff were among the victims. Since the morning, "more than 300 Hezbollah targets have been attacked", according to an Israeli statement. It had previously stated that 150 airstrikes had been carried out between 6.30 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. (local time) alone.

Israel speaks of "precise attacks"
 The Israeli army had announced "more extensive and more precise" attacks on Monday. It called on the population in the south of Lebanon to flee to safety. The conflict between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah has intensified again in recent days.

Rescue workers search through the rubble looking for missing people in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Hassan Ammar)

In a targeted airstrike, the Israeli army killed several senior Hezbollah commanders in Beirut and also announced the destruction of thousands of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.

Most recently, the Israeli army announced further airstrikes on Shiite Hezbollah militia sites in eastern Lebanon. "We are preparing for a large-scale and targeted attack in the Bekaa Valley," army spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists. Residents should "move away" from Hezbollah militia weapons depots for their "protection" and "safety".

"Panic and chaos" on the streets
Following the intensified Israeli airstrikes in the south of Lebanon, residents are in panic. Many people are fleeing the suburbs of the southern city of Tyros, among others, residents told the German Press Agency. Some rushed to the center of the coastal city and to the site of the UN observer mission UNIFIL. The streets were filled with cars of people who apparently wanted to drive towards the capital Beirut or other places in the north of the country.

There were traffic jams on the roads. There was "panic and chaos", eyewitnesses reported. In the coastal town of Sidon, which lies roughly halfway between Tyre and Beirut, traffic came to a complete standstill at times. Drivers shared videos on social media showing what appeared to be masses of Lebanese driving north.

Hezbollah delivered another hail of rockets
For its part, Hezbollah intensified its attacks at the weekend. According to Israeli reports, around 150 rockets and drones were fired at Israel on Sunday night alone.

Following the latest Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah again fired dozens of rockets at several Israeli military posts.

Urgent appeal to the population
According to the local telecommunications company Ogero, more than 80,000 suspected Israeli call attempts were received in Lebanon calling on people to evacuate their neighborhoods.

In an interview with Reuters, Ogero CEO Imad Kreidieh described these as "psychological warfare to cause damage and chaos". The Israeli military had previously used several channels to call on people in Lebanon to stay away from Hezbollah positions.