Deadliest day in Lebanon for decades as Israel firestorm kills nearly 500 after ‘uncovering new Oct 7-style plot’

LEBANON has suffered its deadliest time successful a procreation aft astir 500 radical were killed successful Israeli airstrikes.

It comes conscionable days aft Israel wiped retired Hezbollah commanders claimed to beryllium plotting a devastating October 7-style massacre.

Israel has vowed to bash "whatever is necessary" to hitch Hezbollah from its bluish borderline - sparking immoderate of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire since hostilities flared past October.

Hundreds of Hezbollah targets were blitzed by Israel connected Monday arsenic the violative to hunt panic kingpins - dubbed Northern Arrows - continues.

At slightest 492 were killed and 1,645 injured, including 35 children.

The grim decease toll is the highest regular tally since the extremity of the 1975-90 civilian war.

Ten of thousands of residents fled from the south successful hopeless hunt of structure arsenic Israel pounded Lebanon with bombs from the air.

The main road retired of the confederate larboard metropolis of Sidon was jammed with cars heading toward Beirut successful a staggering wide exodus.

Families from southbound Lebanon loaded cars, vans and trucks with belongings and people, sometimes aggregate generations successful 1 vehicle.

As bombs rained down, children crammed onto parents' laps and suitcases were tied to car roofs. Highways northbound were gridlocked.

Israel has warned residents successful confederate and eastbound Lebanon to evacuate up of its widening aerial run against Hezbollah.

But the UK's overseas bureau - portion continuing to counsel Brits to permission portion flights are disposable - has stopped abbreviated of ordering an evacuation.

Fears of an all-out warfare successful the portion person been stoked by the escalation - with Lebanon inactive reeling from 2 deadly attacks connected connection devices past week.

After astir a twelvemonth of warfare against Hamas successful Gaza connected its confederate border, Israel is shifting its absorption to the bluish frontier.

It is wherever Iran-backed Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel successful enactment of Hamas, besides backed by Iran.

Israel claims it has foiled a crippled to signifier an battle akin to the devastating October 7 battle by Palestinian panic radical Hamas.

President Isaac Herzog said Hezbollah commanders killed successful strikes connected Friday successful Beirut were gathering to program a shocking massacre.

Israel's Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israel is "not looking for wars" but warned its service is successful "full readiness".

Describing civilian casualties arsenic a "tragedy", helium insisted Israel "makes immense efforts not to deed civilians and marque each effort to mitigate harm to civilians".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meantime told Lebanese citizens: "Israel's warfare is not with you, it's with Hezbollah.

"For excessively agelong Hezbollah has been utilizing you arsenic quality shields."

The latest bloodshed has prompted the US to deploy much troops to the Middle East amid fears of an all-out warfare exploding connected the Lebanese border.

The Department of Defense said "additional" work members will beryllium joining up with the 40,000 fighters already successful the Middle East.

A twelve US warships and combatant pitchy squadrons are besides successful the portion connected standby.

It is inactive unclear the nonstop fig of troops being sent implicit oregon wherever they are being stationed.

The Pentagon has already bolstered its US Central Command since tensions successful the Middle East reached boiling constituent astir a twelvemonth ago.

An further 7,000 troops were sent crossed successful the aftermath of the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

Navy warships were rapidly deployed crossed the region, with immoderate successful the Red Sea and different six warships successful the Eastern Mediterranean.

Four squadrons of combatant jets are besides successful the Middle East, arsenic good arsenic precocious F-22 combatant jets, which arrived past month, Military Times reported.  

Their beingness successful the Middle East is designed to assistance support Israel successful their warfare arsenic good arsenic to support US and allied assets.

The Pentagon's General Pat Ryder besides urged immoderate US citizens to permission Lebanon arsenic soon arsenic they could.

And this morning, Hezbollah said it had launched respective attacks connected Israeli subject targets, including an explosives mill 60 km into Israel, with the "Fadi" bid of rockets.

It said it attacked the explosives mill astir 4am (1am GMT) and the Megiddo airfield 3 abstracted times overnight.

The European Union's overseas argumentation main has warned the escalation betwixt Israel and Hezbollah is "almost a full-fledged war".

Josep Borrell said: "This concern is highly unsafe and worrying.

"If this is not a warfare situation, I don't cognize what you would telephone it."