Intensive airstrikes by the Israeli armed forces against Hezbollah continue, with the Israeli army reporting that the terrorist group fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel overnight. 

The death toll in Lebanon rose to 492 people, while 1,645 were injured, according to authorities in the country, which experienced its bloodiest day in nearly a year of crossfire on the border parallel to the war in the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is very concerned about the number of victims as the international community increasingly fears that the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah will lead to a regional conflagration.

In New York, where the UN General Assembly is being held, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro announced on Monday that Paris had requested an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Lebanon within the week.

The Israeli military said that a large number of Hezbollah members were killed. In total, in the operation dubbed “Northern Arrows,” about 1,600 terrorist positions were hit yesterday in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, as clarified late last night.

In a video, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Lebanese citizens to move away from dangerous zones until the operation is over.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, denounced a plan for the destruction of his country, in which schools will remain closed today.

According to the Times of Israel, the IDF reported that Hezbollah fired about 20 rockets into northern Israel, with all of the missiles either intercepted by air defence systems or landed in unpopulated areas. 

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The United States is sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp escalation in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, the Pentagon said yesterday.

Pentagon press secretary Lt. Gen. Pat Ryder did not provide details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked with doing. The US currently has around 40,000 troops in the region.

The State Department is warning Americans to leave Lebanon as the risk of a regional war grows.

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