The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that at least 123 people have been killed and 683 injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon this week, marking one of the most intense fronts in the broader US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Lebanese state media said early Friday that Israeli warplanes targeted multiple towns in southern Lebanon, including Srifa, Aita al-Shaab, Touline, Sawana, and Majdal Selm. Another strike hit the eastern town of Dours at dawn, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
In response, Hezbollah urged residents of towns within 5 kilometers (3.11 miles) of the northern border to evacuate, following Israel’s earlier warnings to leave southern suburbs of Beirut. The densely populated district of Dahiyeh, home to roughly 500,000 people, saw a mass exodus as residents sought safety. The Israeli army has conducted 26 rounds of strikes in the area, claiming to target Hezbollah infrastructure, including the group’s Executive Council headquarters and a drone warehouse.
Hezbollah condemned the Israeli attacks, saying, “Your military’s aggression against Lebanese sovereignty and civilians, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the expulsion campaign it is carrying out will not go unchallenged.”
The group also claimed responsibility for a series of retaliatory strikes on Friday against Israeli ground forces within Lebanese territory, including areas near Maroun al-Ras and Kfar Kila, as well as Israel’s Yoav military camp in the occupied Golan Heights and a naval base in Haifa. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Hezbollah’s strikes.
Israel has refused to evacuate its border towns, sending additional troops into Lebanon and describing the move as defensive to protect its citizens. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians have fled their homes, with hundreds of families taking refuge on a Beirut beach, many for the second time since evacuations during the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.