Death Toll Surpasses 500 in Southern Lebanon Amid Escalating Conflict

A Lebanese security source confirmed on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike hit Hezbollah’s stronghold in South Beirut, specifically targeting two floors of a residential building in the Ghobeiri area. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, revealed that the strike occurred just a day after a similar attack in the same area.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation, stating: “The IDF conducted a targeted strike in Beirut. Details to follow.” While the military provided no immediate elaboration, the precision nature of the attack suggests a high-value target.

According to an AFP photographer at the scene, the strike destroyed two floors of the residential building and caused significant damage to nearby vehicles in the densely populated area.

This follows Monday’s “targeted strike” by Israel on Beirut, part of an escalating series of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which has intensified since the eruption of the Gaza war in October. On Monday alone, Israeli strikes across Lebanon’s south and east killed over 550 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry — marking the deadliest day of violence since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

So far, at least 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women, have been killed in Southern Lebanon. Additionally, the World Health Organization reported the deaths of four healthcare workers, with 16 paramedics injured in the bombardments.

Hezbollah’s leadership also came under fire in these attacks. Ali Karake, Hezbollah’s third-in-command, narrowly escaped after being targeted in Tuesday’s strike. A source close to the group confirmed to AFP that Karake had moved to safety. However, another prominent Hezbollah figure, Commander Ibrahim Aqil, was killed during an earlier Israeli strike on South Beirut on Friday.

The intensifying violence follows coordinated explosions targeting communication devices last week, which killed 39 people and injured thousands. The situation marks a new height in the already volatile relationship between Hezbollah and its longstanding enemy, Israel, as the cycle of retaliatory strikes continues to raise the death toll across Lebanon.

The Lebanese government and international organizations are calling for immediate ceasefires to prevent further escalation and civilian casualties.