Israel says 220 Hezbollah targets attacked as 23 Syrian refugees die in airstrikes

Israel's military has said its air force carried out 220 airstrikes in Lebanon, claiming that all targets were linked to Islamic militant outfit Hezbollah. According to a statement released by the military, among the targets struck were Hezbollah infrastructure sites, launchers from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory, and weapons storage facilities. The army also struck Hezbollah militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

The military said it was "continuing to operate to degrade and dismantle Hezbollah's terrorist capabilities and infrastructure." Since 23 September, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, resulting in over 650 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries. Lebanese environment minister Nasser Yassin noted on Wednesday that the bombardment has displaced more than 150,000 residents this week.

The death toll from 115 Israeli airstrikes in various regions of Lebanon rose to 60, the health ministry reported on Friday. Israel conducted attacks across Lebanon on Thursday, the ministry noted, adding the large-scale airstrikes, which have been focused on the south and east of Lebanon, have now spread to include regions in the Mount Lebanon Governorate on its fourth day, Xinhua news agency reported.

As of Thursday, the death toll from the Israel-Hezbollah clashes since 8 October 2023 has reached 1,540, with injuries totalling 5,410, the ministry added. In an airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs earlier on Thursday, at least two people were killed and 15 others injured when a residential building near al-Qaem mosque in Dahieh was hit, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Footage from Lebanese TV channel al-Jadeed showed rescue teams and ambulances rushing to the densely populated area to transport casualties to hospital and remove victims from beneath the rubble. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that it launched three missiles in "an intelligence-guided attack" on Mohammed Hussein Sarour, commander of Hezbollah's air unit, claiming he was killed in the strike.

The military stated that Sarour was responsible for multiple drone and missile attacks against Israel. So far, Hezbollah has not commented on the attack nor confirmed Sarour's death. Additionally, the IDF announced that its 7th Armoured Brigade concluded a military drill a few kilometres from the Lebanese border, simulating a ground operation in Lebanon.

The drill trained troops in "manoeuvring and combat in thicketed, mountainous terrain," the IDF said in a statement, adding that the exercises enhanced their operational and logistical readiness for various combat scenarios in enemy territory on the northern front.

This drill followed a proposal by France at a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, in collaboration with the United States "to allow for negotiations". Lebanese PM Najib Mikati welcomed the proposal; however, Israel denied earlier on Thursday that it had agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah or Lebanese political parties.

Meanwhile, 23 Syrian refugees, mostly women and children, were killed in an airstrike in Lebanon's Younine area, the Syrian foreign ministry said. In a statement, the ministry on Thursday said the airstrike was launched just hours before Israeli forces struck the Matrabah border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, injuring several refugees fleeing the violence.

The statement accused Israel of deliberately targeting innocent civilians, including refugees seeking safety, Xinhua news agency reported. It condemned Israel's 'blatant disregard' for international law, humanitarian law, and human rights, saying that Israel's actions reflect its long-standing indifference to human lives.

The ministry also urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its repeated violations of international law and to prevent further escalation of violence in the region.

The United Nations has said the Lebanon violence has displaced more than 90,000 people from their homes, with 70,000 cramming into 400 schools and other sites. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tallied the number of displacements since Monday with data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which said it expects the numbers to increase, Xinhua news agency reported.

OCHA said it is gravely concerned over the safety of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Syria estimated that more than 10,000 people — both Lebanese and Syrians — have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to flee hostilities. The office said the world body and its partners provide food, water, mattresses and hygiene kits.

The recent escalation of violence is also affecting education, health, and other vital civilian facilities in Lebanon. OCHA said Lebanon's ministry of education postponed the start of the school year until 14 October, which affects thousands of students nationwide.

The office said Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday damaged four more water stations, bringing the total number of such facilities impacted since October 2023 to 24, affecting access to clean water for more than 250,000 people. OCHA also said the fighting forced 18 primary healthcare centres to close on Thursday.

The UN Population Fund said it provides productive health and dignity kits to displaced women and girls. At the same time, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, delivered essential supplies, including water, blankets, and hygiene kits, to collective shelters.

The World Food Programme reported pre-positioning enough food to support 250,000 people for five days, with the UN relief agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA, and IOM also providing mattresses, blankets and additional supplies to support displaced people.

OCHA said the UN and its humanitarian partners need additional resources to sustain the response to urgent needs. On the margins of the annual general debate in the General Assembly hall, a ministerial-level meeting was held on UNRWA, its funding and the situation in Gaza, where the current hostilities began on 7 October 2023 before spilling over into the West Bank and Lebanon.

"We have failed the people of Gaza," UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres told the meeting. "They are in a living hell that somehow gets even worse by the day." Yet, he said, if there is any outpost of hope in the hellscape, it is UNRWA. He defended the agency mandated to support Palestinians whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or the West Bank.

After the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, the Israeli government accused UNRWA staff of participating in the deadly raid, and donor contributions for the agency plummeted. "In the face of catastrophic conditions, UNRWA perseveres," Guterres said, adding that donations are recovering. "This is a tribute to the resilience of the women and men of UNRWA."

He voiced complete confidence in UNRWA's continued commitment "to upholding the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and humanity."