Lebanon experienced the deadliest day in decades after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 500 people and injured over 1,645 others on Monday, September 23, 2024.
According to CNN, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that it struck 1,600 targets of the Iran-backed military group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Bekaa in a day.
The Lebanese health ministry said that after the day of intense strikes, hundreds of people were injured, including dozens of women and children.
Moreover, Health Minister Firass Abiad also mentioned that thousands of families have been displaced due to the strikes.
Zahra Sawli, a student in the southern town of Nabatieh, told the BBC, “I woke up at 6 am to the sound of bombing. By noon, it started to get really intense, and I saw a lot of strikes in my area. I heard a lot of glass shattering.”
Panic and chaos spread throughout the country, especially in southern Lebanon, after thousands of people tried to flee. The main coastal road that linked the south with the capital Beirut was jammed to several kilometres.
Sawli, who decided not to leave her house, further added, “Where are we supposed to go? A lot of people are still stuck on the streets. A lot of my friends are still stuck in traffic because a lot of people are trying to flee.
To note, the tension between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after Israel’s war in Gaza.
