Lebanon’s Ministry of Health has reported that 356 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across towns and villages in southern Lebanon, Bekaa, and Baalbek since this morning.
This marks an increase from the 271 earlier recorded and reported.
Among the dead are 24 children and 42 women, with an additional 1,246 people injured.
Health Minister Dr. Firass Abiad stated that tens of thousands of people have been fleeing their homes in southern Lebanon. He suggested the primary objective of the Israeli attacks was to trigger a mass exodus of civilians from the affected areas.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight, Abiad remarked, “It’s clear the Israeli government’s intention is to escalate and provoke.”
He noted that while earlier strikes were more targeted, the current phase involves “indiscriminate” attacks.
He also stressed that the majority of the Lebanese population does not want war and expressed his belief that the recent escalation is being driven by decisions made outside Lebanon.
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