Israel Hezbollah War Live Updates: 'Top commander in Hezbollah's missile and rocket unit killed in strike on Beirut,' claims IDF

Since war began in Gaza on October 7, Israel's military campaign has received rolling coverage on domestic television, with just one notable aspect missing -- the Palestinians living, and dying, under the bombs.

Every night during prime time, Israeli viewers hear about military operations in the Gaza Strip, now ravaged by the ongoing retaliation for Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

The deadly attack "was a surprise for Israeli society, and media gave full priority to Israel's suffering and trauma, which is still present," Jerome Bourdon, a media sociologist and professor at Tel Aviv University, told AFP.

Israel has four main news channels.

There is Channel 11, the main channel of the public broadcaster; Channel 12, "the most watched"; Channel 13, "the most critical" of the government; and Channel 14, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's propaganda tool, Israel's Fox News", summarised Oren Persico, a journalist for "The Seventh Eye", an Israeli news website focused on the media.

After analysing many hours of news, satire and talent shows, "The Seventh Eye" earlier this month delivered its verdict: "Media in Israel, from Channel 11 to 14, do not show images of human suffering in Gaza."

Television viewers see "images of rubble, of a bombarded building, but not individual stories of people concerned", the website said.

When Hamas militants staged the worst-ever attack on Israel, they took back into the Gaza Strip 251 hostages, some of them already dead.
A year later, 64 people, including two children, are still in captivity and Israel believes they are alive.

For the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, the hostages are key bargaining chips to negotiate a truce with Israel and seek the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Here is what we know about the hostages still held in Gaza.

- 52 men, 10 women, two children -

Of the 251 hostages seized by militants on October 7, 2023, 117 have been freed, most of them women, children and foreign workers.

Most were released during a week-long truce in late November in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Nearly a year later, Israel believes 64 hostages still held in Gaza are alive.

The army has confirmed 70 others are dead, 33 of whose bodies are still in Gaza.

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander Tuesday as part of a two-day bombing campaign that has left more than 560 people dead and prompted thousands in southern Lebanon to seek refuge from the widening conflict.

With the two sides on the brink of all-out war, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets into Israel on Tuesday, targeting an explosives factory and sending families into bomb shelters.

Families that fled southern Lebanon flocked to Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon, sleeping in schools turned into shelters, as well as in cars, parks and along the beach. Some sought to leave the country, causing a traffic jam at the border with Syria.

Issa Baydoun fled the village of Shihine when it was bombed and drove to Beirut with his extended family. They slept in vehicles on the side of the road because the shelters were full.

“We struggled a lot on the road just to get here,” said Baydoun, who rejected Israel’s contention that it hit only military targets. “We evacuated our homes because Israel is targeting civilians and attacking them.”

Volunteers cooked meals for displaced families at an empty Beirut gas station that first became a hub for relief after a devastating port explosion in 2020.

Israel said late Tuesday that fighter jets carried out “extensive strikes” on Hezbollah weapons and rocket launchers across southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa region to the north.

British Airways on Tuesday said it had suspended flights to Israel until Thursday as as tensions rise between Hezbollah and Israel.

"We've been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Thursday, 26 September," said a statement from the airline which does not operate flights to Lebanon.

Israel said it killed a top commander with Hezbollah’s missile and rocket unit Tuesday as the Israeli military traded fire with Hezbollah again and the death toll from a massive Israeli bombardment climbed to nearly 560 people.

Military officials said Ibrahim Kobeisi, who they alleged was responsible for launches towards Israel, was killed in a strike on Beirut. The military said “other key commanders” were with Kobeisi at the time of the strike, but officials did not say whether any of the others were killed or wounded.

Meanwhile, thousands of people fled from southern Lebanon with the two sides on the brink of all-out war.

Displaced families slept in shelters hastily set up in schools in Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon. With hotels quickly booked to capacity or rooms priced beyond the means of many families, those who did not find shelter slept in their cars, in parks or along the seaside.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the United Nations' "inaction" against Israel, describing it as "senseless and incomprehensible", amid surging tensions across the Middle East."In my meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations, I said the UN inaction against the crimes of the occupying regime is senseless and incomprehensible," he said in a post on social media platform X, adding that "I expressed my deep concern about the spread of the conflict in the entire Middle East."

As the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah grabs global attention, Palestinians in Gaza wonder: What will become of their plight after nearly a year of devastating war? They are petrified that international concern has been diverted, and that a dark possibility looms: abandonment.
The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have the same worry.

Nezar Zaqout, one of some 1.9 million Palestinians forced to flee their homes since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, said he fears the fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border will overtake interest in the abysmal living conditions in Gaza and efforts to negotiate a cease-fire.

"We have become completely forgotten," said Zaqout, who is living in Khan Younis after fleeing from Gaza City months ago. "There is no news about us in the media."

Palestinians fret the miserable conditions in Gaza will become permanent. Ninety per cent of the population is homeless, with hundreds of thousands in unsanitary tent camps struggling to find food and clean water.

Some 500 people have crossed from Lebanon to war-torn Syria, a Syrian security official told AFP Tuesday, fleeing the deadliest Israeli bombardment since Hezbollah and Israel fought a devastating war in 2006.
"Around 500 people crossed the border through the Qusayr and Dabousiya crossings between 4 pm (1300 GMT) and midnight" Monday, the security official told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

"Vehicles were still crossing in the early hours of the morning, with people heading towards friends' and acquaintances' homes in the Homs countryside and in the city of Homs," he said.

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has fought alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the country's civil war and wields influence on both sides of the border.

Cab driver Osama Bilal, who often drives customers across the border, said he saw dozens of cars with Lebanese registration plates packed with passengers and their belongings at the Masnaa border crossing.

German airline group Lufthansa said Tuesday it had extended the suspension of flights to and from Israel's Tel Aviv and Iranian capital Tehran up to and including October 14.
Lufthansa continued to "monitor the situation closely and will assess it further in the coming days", the group said on its website as the escalation in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah threatened to destabilise the region. Flights to Beirut remain suspended until October 26, Lufthansa added.

The Kremlin said Tuesday that the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah risked completely destabilising the region.
"It is, of course, an event that is potentially very dangerous," risking expansion of the zone of the conflict and "complete destabilisation of the region", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"Of course that causes us extreme concern and worry," the Kremlin spokesman added.

Israel announced dozens of new air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon Tuesday, a day after 492 people, including 35 children, were killed in the deadliest bombardment since a devastating war in 2006.

Peskov was responding to a question about how the Kremlin views the latest Israeli strikes on Lebanon and the possible ways it sees to resolve the conflict.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that Moscow "decisively condemns the massive military attacks committed against Lebanon".

Moscow views "indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians" as categorically unacceptable, she added.

Lebanon said Tuesday the death toll from Israeli bombardment a day earlier had risen to 558, including 50 children, in the deadliest day of violence since Hezbollah and Israel went to war in 2006.
"So far, the health ministry has recorded 558 deaths, including 50 children and 94 women," Health Minister Firass Abiad said, adding that "the vast majority, if not all of those killed in yesterday's attacks were unarmed people in their homes."

According to the United Nations, a significant number of individuals in Lebanon have been displaced due to Israeli military actions. Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, addressed reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, stating that the situation has been ongoing since Monday. "Tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes yesterday and overnight, and the numbers continue to grow," Saltmarsh emphasized, expressing concern over the impact on the civilian population. He further added that "the toll on civilians is unacceptable", highlighting the severity of the situation and the need for action to protect those affected by the conflict.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin expressed its apprehension regarding the escalating situation in the Middle East, cautioning that Israeli strikes on Lebanon could lead to regional instability. The Russian government conveyed its deep concern over the recent developments.

Nearly 500 people were killed in Lebanon after Israeli airstrike.

Flydubai has announced the cancellation of flights between Dubai and Beirut scheduled for September 24 and 25. A spokesperson from the airline stated that the decision was made due to "the ongoing developments".

Similarly, Air Arabia has also cancelled its flights from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi to Beirut on September 24.

In a statement, Etihad Airways also confirmed the cancellation of its flights to and from Beirut on September 24, citing "ongoing regional developments" as the reason behind the decision.

On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military reported that northern Israel was hit by a barrage of over 50 projectiles launched from Lebanon. The attack occurred between 9:36 am (0636 GMT) and 09:44 am, according to the statement.
The Israeli military said that "The majority of the projectiles were intercepted."

Numerous flights scheduled for Tuesday, both arriving at and departing from Beirut, have been called off, as per the information provided on the website of Rafic Hariri International Airport. The cancellations affect a total of 44 flights. The website indicates that 15 departing flights and 29 arriving flights, operated by several airlines such as Qatar Airways, multiple carriers from the United Arab Emirates, and Turkish Airways, will not be operating as planned.

Israel's armed forces reported conducting airstrikes against numerous Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Monday night, following a day of intense attacks against the Iran-backed organization's locations in Lebanon, resulting in the country's highest fatality count in decades.

On Tuesday morning, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacking several Israeli military targets, including an explosives factory 60 km (37 miles) into Israel, using the Fadi series of rockets. The group stated that it attacked the explosives factory around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT) and the Megiddo airfield three separate times overnight.

Israel is now shifting its attention to the northern border, where Hezbollah has been launching rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran, after nearly a year of fighting against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border.

According to the Israeli military, a Hezbollah militant cell was targeted, and its artillery and tanks struck other Hezbollah positions in the south. Fragments of interceptor missiles were discovered in various locations in northern Israel, according to police.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday killed nearly 500 people and forced tens of thousands to flee for safety, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel warned people in Lebanon to evacuate areas where it claimed the armed movement was storing weapons after some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire since hostilities erupted in October when the Gaza war began.
Families from south Lebanon packed cars, vans, and trucks with belongings and people of all ages. Highways heading north were congested.

Nasser Yassin, the Lebanese minister in charge of the crisis response, told Reuters that 89 temporary shelters in schools and other facilities had been established, with a capacity for more than 26,000 people fleeing what he described as "Israeli atrocities".
According to Israel's military, Hezbollah was targeted in Lebanon's south, east, and north, including rocket launchers, command posts, and militant infrastructure. The Israeli Air Force claimed to have struck approximately 1,600 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
At least 492 people were killed, including 35 children, and 1,645 were wounded, according to Lebanon's health ministry. According to one Lebanese official, this was Lebanon's highest daily death toll from violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for multiple strikes on Israeli military targets. The group stated that it had fired the "Fadi" series of rockets, which they began using on Sunday, at an explosives factory located 60 km (37 miles) inside Israel. According to Hezbollah, the explosives factory was targeted around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT). Additionally, the group reported launching three separate attacks on the Megiddo airfield throughout the night.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently shared a video

that reveals Hezbollah's tactics of utilizing residential areas in Lebanon to conceal their weapons and involving Lebanese civilians as human shields to protect their military activities. The video aims to expose the alleged practices of the militant group.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that they conducted airstrikes against multiple Hezbollah positions across various locations in southern Lebanon during the night. In a statement, the military said, "Overnight ...the IAF (air force) struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in numerous areas in southern Lebanon."

As world leaders gather for the annual UN General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, they face a world grappling with escalating conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as the looming threat of a broader Middle East war. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his "State of the World" address at the "Summit of the Future" on Sunday, warned that the world is "heading off the rails" and called for tough decisions to get it back on track.

Guterres highlighted the numerous conflicts "raging and multiplying, from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan, with no end in sight" and the global security system, which he said is "threatened by geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and the development of new weapons and theaters of war." He also pointed out the vast inequalities, the absence of an effective global system to address emerging and existential threats, and the devastating effects of climate change.

US President Joe Biden's likely final major appearance on the world stage will be a notable moment at Tuesday's opening assembly meeting. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the US will focus on ending "the scourge of war," noting that approximately 2 billion people live in conflict-affected areas. She added, "The most vulnerable around the world are counting on us to make progress, to make change, to bring about a sense of hope for them."

Other speakers on the opening day include Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian leader accused Israel on Monday of seeking a wider war in the Middle East and laying "traps" to lead his country into a broader conflict, citing the deadly explosions of pagers, walkie-talkies, and other electronic devices in Lebanon last week and the assassination of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. "We don't want to fight," the Iranian president said. "It's Israel that wants to drag everyone into war and destabilize the region. … They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go." Iran supports both Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah militants.

David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee, recalled that at the 1945 San Francisco conference where the UN was established, then-US President Harry Truman urged delegates to reject the notion that "might makes right" and instead embrace the idea that "right makes might," which was enshrined in the UN Charter.

As President Joe Biden prepares to address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time on Tuesday, the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. The situation is further complicated by the approaching one-year anniversary of Israel's bloody operation against Hamas in Gaza. In his speech, Biden is anticipated to emphasize the necessity of resolving the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan, as well as to underscore the support provided by the US and its Western allies to Kyiv since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This speech also presents Biden with one of his final opportunities as president to make a compelling argument for continued robust support for Ukraine, which could be at risk if former President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the war's cost, defeats Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming November election.

Upon taking office, Biden pledged to revitalize US relations worldwide and extricate the nation from the "forever wars" in Afghanistan and Iraq that have dominated American foreign policy over the past two decades. He successfully achieved both objectives. However, his foreign policy legacy may ultimately be defined by his administration's handling of two of the most significant conflicts in Europe and the Middle East since World War II.

On Monday, the Pentagon announced the deployment of a small contingent of additional US troops to the Middle East to bolster the approximately 40,000 already stationed in the region, in response to the escalating tensions. Despite this, the White House maintains that Israel and Hezbollah still have the opportunity to step back and de-escalate the situation. "It's in everyone's interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters as Biden made his way to New York on Monday ahead of his address at the UN.

According to two senior administration officials, Biden administration officials will engage in discussions with their counterparts on the sidelines of the UN to explore ideas that could potentially prevent the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, declined to provide further details on the potential off-ramps. One of the officials mentioned that other countries were also eager to present ideas to reduce tensions.

Just a year ago, when Biden addressed the UN, he had a more optimistic outlook for the Middle East. In that speech, Biden spoke of a "sustainable, integrated Middle East" coming into view. (AP)

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently shared a video that purportedly reveals Hezbollah's tactics of utilizing residential areas in Lebanon to conceal their weapons and involving Lebanese civilians as human shields to protect their military activities. The video aims to expose the alleged practices of the militant group. In an accompanying statement, Daniel Hagari, the IDF chief, stated that the Israeli military had taken steps to warn civilians living in certain regions of southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes. The purpose of this warning was to reduce the potential for civilian casualties, as Hezbollah had reportedly set up a significant military presence within these villages, putting the lives of innocent residents at risk.

On Monday, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into Israeli airspace, targeting Haifa and its surrounding areas in northern Israel, triggering sirens to sound the alarm. The attack was carried out as a response to the Israeli defence forces (IDF) striking Hezbollah's hideouts in Lebanon, resulting in the militant group's most severe losses in years.

Israel's iron dome, however, proved its effectiveness once again, successfully "intercepted majority of rockets" launched by Hezbollah. The Israeli army reported that around 180 projectiles and a single unmanned aerial vehicle had entered Israeli airspace throughout the day, affecting various locations in the country's northern region.

During a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart in New York, China's foreign minister Wang Yi conveyed Beijing's attentiveness to the recent developments in the region, particularly the destruction of communications equipment in Lebanon. The Chinese foreign ministry reported on Tuesday that Wang Yi strongly denounced "indiscriminate attacks against civilians".

The Chinese Foreign Minister expressed China's unwavering support for Lebanon in defending its sovereignty and security during his conversation with Lebanese Foreign Minister Habib on Monday. Wang Yi vehemently condemned the violations that followed Israel's extensive airstrike on Lebanese territory.

Over 1,600 Lebanese citizens sustained injuries in the fatal attacks on Monday, and many more were forced to evacuate southern Lebanon. According to Israel, they were aiming at Hezbollah's weapons storage facilities and had struck around 1,600 targets. The health minister of Lebanon reported that hospitals, medical facilities, and ambulances had been targeted.

The Israeli military issued a warning to residents, urging them to immediately evacuate areas where Hezbollah is known to store weapons. According to Lebanese media, the evacuation notice was also sent via text messages.
Hezbollah claimed to have launched numerous rockets towards Israel, including at military installations, and officials reported that a series of air-raid sirens were sounding in northern Israel, alerting residents of the rocket strikes.

On Friday, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, resulting in the death of Ibrahim Akil, the leader of Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit, along with other top unit commanders. Israel stated that Akil was responsible for directing the group's campaign of rocket, drone, and other attacks into northern Israel. The attack claimed the lives of at least 45 people and injured more than 60 others.

This strike followed the shocking electronic device bombings, in which thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded on Tuesday and Wednesday. The bombings resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people, including two children, and the injury of approximately 3,000 others. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in these incidents.

According to analysts, while the attack had minimal impact on Hezbollah's manpower, it could disrupt their communication channels and compel them to adopt stricter security measures.

Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, expressed China's unwavering support for Lebanon in defending its sovereignty and security during a conversation with Habib, the Lebanese Foreign Minister, on Monday. The Chinese official strongly denounced the recent violations following Israel's extensive airstrike on Lebanese territory.

In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Lebanese civilians to evacuate their homes. “Take this warning seriously,” he urged, saying, “Please get out of harm’s way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes.”

Netanyahu said that Israel was entering “complicated days” as military actions against Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon. He expressed his commitment to altering the security balance in the region, stating, “I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of power in the north - that is exactly what we are doing.”

The Israeli military has intensified its airstrikes, targeting Hezbollah positions, and warned residents in affected areas to evacuate. Netanyahu’s message was part of a broader military strategy, as Israel aims to curtail Hezbollah's capabilities. The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of unity among Israelis as the situation escalates.

He urged Lebanese citizens to act quickly, highlighting the grave risks they face. The message reflects Israel's ongoing commitment to its military objectives while addressing the humanitarian implications for civilians in Lebanon.

'Actions and counter-reactions risk dragging entire Middle East into a broader regional conflict with unimaginable consequences,' G7 foreign ministers said in a statement.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes on Monday resulted in the deaths of over 490 people, including more than 90 women and children, marking the deadliest attack since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israeli military issued warnings to residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate in preparation for an escalating air campaign against Hezbollah. In response, thousands of Lebanese citizens fled the south, with the main highway from the southern port city of Sidon to Beirut congested with vehicles in the largest exodus since 2006.

The Lebanese health ministry reported that the strikes claimed the lives of 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and injured 1,645 others, a devastating toll for a nation already grappling with the aftermath of a recent deadly attack on communication devices. In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to heed the evacuation warnings, stating, "Please get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes."

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel's military spokesman, declared that the army would take all necessary measures to drive Hezbollah away from the Israeli-Lebanese border. Hagari asserted that Monday's extensive airstrikes had dealt significant damage to Hezbollah but refrained from providing a timeline for the operation, indicating that Israel was prepared to initiate a ground invasion of Lebanon if necessary. "We are not looking for wars. We are looking to take down the threats," he said. "We will do whatever is necessary to do to achieve this mission."

According to Hagari, Hezbollah has launched approximately 9,000 rockets and drones into Israel since last October, with 250 launched on Monday alone. The military reported that Israeli warplanes targeted 1,600 Hezbollah positions on Monday, destroying cruise missiles, long- and short-range rockets, and attack drones, many of which were hidden in residential areas, as evidenced by photographs of weapons concealed in private homes. "Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a war zone," Hagari stated during a news conference.

Israel estimates that Hezbollah possesses around 150,000 rockets and missiles, including guided missiles and long-range projectiles capable of reaching any location within Israel. On Monday evening, the Israeli military confirmed a targeted strike in Beirut without providing further details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that three missiles struck the Beir al-Abed neighborhood in southern Beirut, while Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV stated that six people were wounded in the attack. (AP)

Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, killing 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, as the Israeli military called on residents to immediately evacuate places where it claimed the Hezbollah militant group stores weapons. Thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, jamming the main highway to Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. More than 1,645 people were wounded in the strikes, the Health Ministry said, a staggering one-day toll for the country.

While tensions remain high between the US and Iran, there's at least one American that state radio in Tehran invites on the air each week for its millions of listeners. It's just that he's a fictional insurance fraud detective who's been on the case since 1949. "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", a radio programme created by CBS that later found a devoted listenership in Iran for a Farsi-language version under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the 1960s, has returned to Iranian radio.

Iran’s president accused Israel on Monday of seeking a wider war in West Asia and laying “traps” to lead his country into a wider conflict. Masoud Pezeshkian told about two dozen media representatives that Iran doesn’t want to see the current war in Gaza and air strikes across the Israeli-Lebanon border expanded. He said while Israel insists it doesn’t want a wider war, it is taking actions that show otherwise. Pezeshkian pointed to the deadly explosions of electronic devices in Lebanon last week, which he blamed on Israel.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has ordered all members to stop using any type of communication devices after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon blew up in deadly attacks last week, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters. One of the security officials said a large-scale operation is under way by the IRGC to inspect all devices, not just communication equipment. He said most of these devices were either homemade or imported from China and Russia.

They hit the village! They hit the village!" a pharmacist in southern Lebanon said in a panicked voice note to friends as he rushed to flee Israeli bombardment. Amid sweeping Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon - and warnings from the Israeli military for civilians to leave areas where Hezbollah's weapons were stored - residents fled cities, towns and villages on Monday. Lebanese reported a chaos of clogged roads and disrupted communications lines as they desperately tried to reach friends and loved ones.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon Monday killed more than 350 people, including more than 60 women and children, Lebanese authorities said, in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of its widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, killing more than 356 people, including 24 children and 42 women, as the Israeli military called on residents to immediately evacuate places where it claimed the Hezbollah militant group stores weapons. Thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, jamming the main highway to Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. More than 1,240 people were wounded in the strikes, the Health Ministry said, a staggering one-day toll for the country.