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UPDATE 21-Lebanon states Israeli airstrikes eliminate a minimum of 492, locals flee from south

Israel's military said it released airstrikes against Hezbollah websites in Lebanon on Monday, which Lebanese authorities said had killed 492 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing for safety in the country's. deadliest day in decades.

After some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire. because hostilities flared in October, Israel alerted people in. Lebanon to evacuate locations where it stated the armed motion was. saving weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a brief video. declaration addressed to the Lebanese people.

Israel's war is not with you, it's with Hezbollah. For too. long Hezbollah has been utilizing you as human shields, he said.

Households from south Lebanon packed vehicles, vans and trucks. with possessions and individuals, sometimes multiple generations in. one automobile. As bombs rained down, kids packed onto. parents' laps and suitcases were tied to car roofings.

Highways north were gridlocked. I got all the essential. papers and we went out. Strikes all around us. It was. terrifying, stated Abed Afou, who was with his household, consisting of. 3 children aged 6 to 13 and numerous other loved ones. They sat in. traffic as it crawled north.

They did not know where they would remain, he stated, but. just wished to reach Beirut.

Some individuals escaped on foot. People carrying small. bundles of belongings trekked northward on the beach near the. Lebanese town of Tire.

Nasser Yassin, the Lebanese minister coordinating the. crisis response, told Reuters 89 short-term shelters in schools. and other facilities had actually been triggered, with capability for more. than 26,000 individuals as civilians fled Israeli atrocities.

After practically a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its. southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern. frontier, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has been shooting rockets. into Israel in assistance of Hamas, likewise backed by Iran.

Israel's military stated it struck Hezbollah in Lebanon's. south, east and north, including launchers, command posts and. terrorist facilities. The Israeli Flying force struck. around 1,600 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and. the Bekaa Valley, it said.

Lebanon's health ministry stated at least 492 people had been. eliminated, including 35 children, and 1,645 injured. One Lebanese. official said it was Lebanon's greatest everyday death toll from. violence given that the 1975-1990 civil war.

The fighting has raised fears that the U.S., Israel's close. ally, and Iran will be drawn into a wider war.

Saudi Arabia expressed deep issue on Monday and advised all. parties to exercise restraint, state news company health spa reported.

A senior U.S. State Department official said the United. States does not support a cross-border escalation between Israel. and Hezbollah which Washington was going to discuss concrete. concepts with allies and partners to avoid the war from. expanding.

Israeli authorities have stated the current uptick in airstrikes. on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon is designed to require the. Iran-aligned group to agree to a diplomatic service.

The U.S. official, instruction press reporters in New York on. condition of anonymity, pushed back on the Israeli position,. stating the Biden administration was focused on decreasing. stress ... and breaking the cycle of strike-counterstrike.

DISPUTE 'PEAK'

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated Monday marked a. substantial peak in the nearly year-long dispute.

On this day we have actually secured of order tens of countless. rockets and accurate munition. What Hezbollah has actually built over a. duration of 20 years given that the 2nd Lebanon War is in fact being. damaged by the IDF, he said in a declaration, referring to the. Israel Defense Forces.

On Monday evening Israel introduced a strike on Beirut's. southern residential areas targeted at senior Hezbollah leader Ali Karaki,. the head of the southern front. Hezbollah later said he was safe. and had moved to a safe and secure place.

However Hamas' armed wing said its field leader in southern. Lebanon, Mahmoud al Nader, was eliminated in an Israeli air campaign.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a declaration that Israeli. strikes had actually hit long-range cruise missiles, heavyweight rockets,. short-range rockets and explosive drones.

In reaction, Hezbollah stated it launched dozens of rockets. at a military base in northern Israel.

Sirens alerting of Hezbollah rocket fire sounded throughout. northern Israel, consisting of in the port city of Haifa, and in the. northern part of the occupied West Bank, the armed force stated.

About 60,000 people have been left from northern Israel. since of the cross-border combating. Gallant said the project. would continue until the citizens had actually returned to their homes. Hezbollah for its part has vowed to combat until there is a. ceasefire in Gaza.

Hagari said Hezbollah put weapons within Lebanese towns. and civilian homes, and intended to fire them towards civilians. in Israel while threatening the Lebanese civilian population.

Hezbollah has actually not discussed the assertion that it has. covert weapons in homes, which Reuters might not separately. confirm, but it has said it does not put military. facilities near civilians.

The strikes have redoubled the pressure on the group, which. last week suffered heavy losses when countless pagers and. walkie-talkies utilized by its members exploded.

The operation was commonly blamed on Israel, which has not. confirmed nor rejected responsibility.

In New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Israel. wished to drag the Middle East into a full-blown war by. provoking Iran to sign up with the Israel-Hezbollah dispute.

It is Israel that seeks to produce this full-blown conflict,. he informed reporters after his arrival in New york city to attend the. U.N. General Assembly, stating the effects of such. instability would be permanent.

(source: Reuters)