Israel launched airstrikes against nearly 75 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight

Over the past night, Israel carried out airstrikes on nearly 75 sites of the Shiite movement "Hezbollah" in Lebanon. This was reported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Press Service on Thursday, September 26.

"Overnight, the Israeli Air Force, under the guidance of IDF intelligence, struck approximately 75 sites belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the [Bekaa Valley] area and southern Lebanon," the country's security body's Telegram channel indicated.

Earlier this morning, the Al Mayadeen TV channel reported that the total number of people killed in shelling of Lebanese territory by the Israeli Armed Forces had risen to 70 over the course of the day. Another 400 people were injured. It was also noted that the largest number of deaths was recorded in Nagorno Lebanon, Nabatiya province, Baalbek-Hermel region and the Bekaa Valley.

The day before, the IDF Spokesperson's Office announced the decision to mobilize a number of reserve brigades for an operation on the northern front in order to "continue the fight against the terrorist organization." At the time, the head of the Israeli army's northern command, Uri Gordin, indicated that the country was beginning a new phase of the military campaign, and as such, its soldiers must be ready for "maneuver and action."

The IDF launched a massive attack on Shiite Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sept. 23. One of the strikes hit Beirut. The Israeli General Staff indicated that the country was conducting a pre-emptive operation to destroy the Shiite organization's infrastructure. Lebanese Health Minister Firas al-Abyad said that the number of victims due to the attacks in the south of the country rose to 558 people, 50 of them - children.

Before that, on September 17, numerous people were seriously injured in pager explosions in Beirut and southern Lebanon. The next day, various wireless devices exploded in cars and on motorcycles. These were portable radios, which were different from pagers. Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah representatives blamed Israel for the explosions.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian movement Hamas subjected Israeli territory to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip, as well as invaded border areas in the south and took hostages. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.