Israel launches intense wave of airstrikes on 120 sites in Lebanon

Israel launched an intense wave of air raids on southern Lebanon yesterday, with 100 aircraft targeting about 120 sites in the space of an hour, according to the country's military.

- Peter Beaumont

The bombing came as an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson issued an urgent warning to Lebanese civilians to avoid being on the beach or on boats on the coast from the Awali River southwards until further notice.

The IDF also announced yesterday that it had designated a new closed military zone in northern Israel, the fourth closed area since the ground invasion started, running eastward from the Mediterranean coast.

Thestrikes came as Israelis marked the anniversary of last year's 7 October attacks by Hamas, the trigger for a year of escalating war in the region.

"These targets belonged to various units of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, including regional units of Hezbollah's southern front, the Radwan Forces, the Missiles and Rockets Force, and the Intelligence Directorate," the IDF said in a statement.

"This operation follows a series of strikes aimed at degrading Hezbollah's command, control and firing capabilities, as well as assisting ground forces in achieving their operational goals." Violence continued to rage on multiple fronts, with Israel also expanding its ground operation into Lebanon with elements of a third division joining the fighting.