Israel launches airstrikes on Lebanon for the third day, death toll from two-day attack at 564

Israel launched more airstrikes on south Lebanon for a third day on Wednesday, Lebanese official media reported. Israel has upped its airstrikes in Lebanon in what it has called “pre-emptive” strikes.

“Since 5:00 am (0200 GMT) enemy warplanes have launched strikes” on several areas of southern Lebanon, the official National News Agency said.

The news agency said there were unspecified casualties.

Meanwhile, Lebanese health authorities have raised the death toll from two days of Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah militants to 564.

In Gaza, Palestinian officials said on Tuesday new Israeli strikes killed at least two dozen people.

Despite repeated calls for de-escalation of the conflict, Israel has continued bombing Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon as it shifted its main focus from Gaza and Hamas last week, when the Netanyahu government ministers said the war had entered a new phase.

The Israeli military says it will do “whatever is necessary” to push Hezbollah away from its border with Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since the Israel-Hamas war began.

On Monday, Israel scaled up its attack on Hezbollah with hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. More than 560 people have died and over 1,600 are injured in the two days of airstrikes. This was the biggest casualty in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict since the 2006 war.

Thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, jamming the main highway to Beirut in the biggest exodus in almost two decades. These attacks have come close on the heels of deadly synchronised attacks on communication devices the week before. Hezbollah blamed the attacks on Israel, but Israel did not confirm or deny its responsibility.

In response to Israeli attacks, Hezbollah launched some 100 projectiles on Tuesday, the Israeli military said. It had launched about 200 rockets and missiles the previous day.