Lebanese flee Beirut amid attacks; deaths in the country already exceed 100 and Hezbollah says it will not surrender

Lebanese face heavy traffic after Israel’s evacuation order in Beirut The death toll from Israel’s attacks on Lebanon has now exceeded 100 and the evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli Army brought panic to the southern suburbs of Beirut, the country’s capital, this Thursday (5). ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp LIVE: FOLLOW coverage of the conflict in real time With new evacuation alerts issued and gunshots being heard, the Lebanese filled the streets, fleeing by car and on foot. In a post on the social network X, an Israeli military spokesman ordered residents of the southern suburbs to move to the eastern and northern districts. Part of the area indicated as at risk is adjacent to Beirut airport. According to a report released by the Lebanese Ministry of Health this Thursday, 102 people have died and 638 have been injured since Monday (2), when the first attacks against the country were launched. Israel resumed bombings of Lebanon after the extremist group Hezbollah launched missiles and drones against Israeli territory on Sunday (1st) in response to the offensive carried out by the country in partnership with the United States against Iran, which is its ally. Israeli military spokeswoman Effie Defrin stated that the Israeli Armed Forces attacked more than 250 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon during a 48-hour period. The head of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem AL MANAR TV This Thursday, the head of Hezbollah made his first statement since the exchange of hostilities resumed. On TV, Naim Qassem stated that the group will not surrender “regardless of the sacrifices”. “What Israel did after the rocket attack was not a response; on the contrary, it was a premeditated aggression. Our choice is to face them with maximum selflessness. We will not surrender; we will defend ourselves with our capabilities and our faith, no matter the sacrifices,” he stated. Resumption of Israeli attacks on Lebanon Israel intensifies attacks on Lebanon; death toll rises to 56 The resumption of the Israeli offensive into Lebanon began with military operations along the border between the two countries. On Tuesday (3), Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had authorized the advance of troops to “take control of additional positions in Lebanon.” “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I authorized the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to advance and occupy additional dominant positions in Lebanon in order to prevent firing on Israeli communities on the border,” Katz said in a statement. Shortly after Katz’s statement, the Israeli army said it was creating a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon. “In practice, Northern Command has advanced, taken control of the dominant terrain and is creating a buffer zone, as we promised, between our residents and any threat,” said military spokeswoman Effie Defrin. The ground operations take place amid a greater mobilization of troops and military equipment by Israel along the border with Lebanon in recent days, which gives indications that Israel may invade the neighboring country by land in the coming hours or days. Israel bombs Hezbollah group in Lebanon Israel is fighting the rebel group Hezbollah, with which it has had a ceasefire since October 2024. The truce was broken after the Lebanese group fired missiles at northern Israel on Sunday. Since then, Israel has carried out bombings against southern Lebanon and also against the capital Beirut, which was attacked on Monday (2) and also this Tuesday. In addition, Israel has called up around 100,000 reservists since Saturday and has sent some of them to the border with Lebanon, to the north. The Lebanese government also stated that it had withdrawn its army from regions in the south of the country. The Israel x Hezbollah confrontation is yet another focus of the war in the Middle East, which has spread beyond the conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran, which began on Saturday after bombings in Iranian territory that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the country’s military authorities (read more below). Israeli forces have held five positions in southern Lebanon since November 2024, the same time Israel and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire in their conflict. US and Israel vs. Iran War Behind the scenes of Israel’s actions against the production of atomic weapons in Iran The United States and Israel launched a major attack against Iran on Saturday morning (28), which sparked a war between the three countries. Explosions were recorded in the capital Tehran and several other Iranian cities. The bombings killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other high-ranking members of Iran’s military and government leadership. In total, almost 800 people have been killed since the attacks on the country began, the Iranian Red Crescent humanitarian organization said in an update this Monday (2). In response to US and Israeli attacks, Iran fired missiles at Israeli territory and at US military bases in the Middle East. This exchange of attacks has continued since then, with daily bombings against Israel, Iran and Gulf countries. The US reported on Sunday that six US troops had been killed since the start of the war, and Trump vowed to “avenge” them.

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