At least 492 killed in Lebanon after Israeli airstrikes, officials say

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 492 people and wounded more than 1,000 others Monday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The ministry said in a post on Facebook that children, women and medical workers are among the dead and wounded in the strikes on southern Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on the social platform X that forces struck 300 targets of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The strikes follow an escalating exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel that began last week and continued over the weekend as the conflict threatens to ignite into an all-out war.

Israel dealt a massive blow to Hezbollah last week after detonating pagers and walkie-talkies that killed at least 37 people and wounded thousands. Israel on Friday also carried out targeted strikes in Beirut that killed top Hezbollah commanders.

After cross-border fighting for nearly a year with Hezbollah, Israeli officials said last week that forces were shifting to a new phase in the north. Israel has also set a war goal of returning its some 60,000 displaced residents from the northern border with Lebanon.

It’s unclear if Israel is laying the groundwork for a major operation in Lebanon such as a ground invasion or is working to degrade Hezbollah assets through strikes and covert attacks, but there are fears the war could escalate into an all-out conflict.

Hezbollah, which has vowed to continue its fight against Israel so long as the Gaza war keeps raging, has continued to fire rockets across the border, including a retaliatory move over the weekend.

Updated at 4:56 p.m. EDT