Israel Intensifies Airstrikes on Lebanon.. Death Toll Rises to 77 and 91,000 Displaced

Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 77 people and injuring 527 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, amid the displacement of more than 91,000 people from conflict areas.

The Israeli army has expanded its operations to include several areas, including Zahle and the southern suburbs of Beirut, and has urged residents of southern Litani to evacuate immediately in anticipation of strikes on homes believed to be used for military purposes.
In response, Hezbollah reiterated its commitment to confront what it described as "Israeli-American aggression," launching rocket and drone attacks on Israeli settlements in the Upper Galilee, targeting Israeli military sites including a brigade in Ein Zeitim, 20 kilometers from the Lebanese border.

The Israeli airstrikes included northern areas such as the al-Badawi refugee camp in Tripoli, where a Hamas leader and his wife were killed, in addition to strikes on vehicles on the road linking Beirut to its international airport, resulting in three fatalities.

This current escalation comes in the context of a series of attacks that began after the assassination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, which led to rocket and drone responses from Hezbollah against Israel, followed by extensive Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the party's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Israeli army confirmed the deployment of additional units in southern Lebanon, announcing plans to establish a buffer zone to protect northern border areas, amid ongoing exchanges of fire between the two sides and rising regional tensions.