The death toll in Lebanon has grown to over 3,000, the country’s health ministry said this week amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
On Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported its new death toll from 13 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, noting that at least 13,492 others have been wounded.
War Between Israel and Hezbollah
Hezbollah began launching rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas staged its surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the current conflict in Gaza. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are aligned with Iran.
The conflict intensified sharply on September 23, when Israeli airstrikes targeted southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as southern suburbs of Beirut. The escalation left hundreds dead and forced nearly 1.2 million people to flee their homes.
Israel launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon on October 1, resulting in extensive destruction in border villages, though troops made limited progress deeper into Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah attacks have killed 72 people in Israel, including 30 soldiers.
Last week, Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across northeastern Lebanon, killing at least 52 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Palestinians also recovered the bodies of more than two dozen people killed in an Israeli air assault in central Gaza that started on Thursday, according to local hospital officials.
U.S. Support of Israel
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday that the U.S. is sending more bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East to strengthen the American military’s presence in the region.
Four U.S. and defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press said that Austin ordered multiple B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers to be deployed.
In a statement, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said that the deployments were “in keeping with our commitments to the protection of U.S. citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defense of Israel, and de-escalation through deterrence and diplomacy.”
Middle East Tensions
Over the past several months, tensions across the Middle East have remained high following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The initial Hamas attack on Israel killed around 1,200 Israelis, with hundreds more being taken hostage. Israel’s assaults on Gaza have since killed over 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. A minimum of 2,897 more have reportedly been killed in Lebanon, not including Friday’s death toll.
Additionally, Israel recently launched an attack on Iran after they attacked Israel a week prior.
Iran has vowed to launch further attacks on Israel in response to the retaliatory strikes, although one expert on Iran recently told Newsweek that a response may ultimately be delayed or canceled.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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