Israeli strikes kill over 356 in Lebanon

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 356 Lebanese civilians and fighters on Monday, marking the deadliest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah since the 2006 war.

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The strikes came as Israel warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group. More than 1,240 people were wounded in the attacks, according to Lebanese authorities.

The Israeli military reported hitting some 300 Hezbollah targets, focusing on weapons storage sites. Residential areas were also struck in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, known as a Hezbollah stronghold. In one of the most distant strikes, Israeli warplanes bombed a wooded area in Byblos, over 80 miles north of the border with Israel. The expanded air offensive also targeted areas along Lebanon's eastern border, where Hezbollah has maintained a strong presence since its founding in the early 1980s.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's spokesperson, warned residents of the Bekaa Valley to evacuate immediately if they were near Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. As the airstrikes continued, Hezbollah retaliated with a barrage of rockets, targeting an Israeli military post in Galilee and a defence facility in Haifa for a second consecutive day.