The death toll from Israeli air strikes in Lebanon rises from September 23 morning to 6:00 p.m. on September 24: 558 dead and 1,700 injured. Columns of Lebanese refugees are seen heading towards Syria. According to local media, 2,000 Lebanese have fled to Syria so far. 3,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria, fleeing Lebanon.
Tensions have risen significantly after Israel declared the land beyond the Litani River Israeli territory. A direct clash seems inevitable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We will continue to hit Hezbollah. Whoever has a missile in his living room and a rocket in his garage will not have a home”. Echoing these words, opposition leader Benny Gantz in a statement to the press said: “If Nasrallah does not stop firing rockets, we will be forced to carry out a ground operation to bring back the residents of the north.”
Hezbollah, starting at 14:31 on September 24, in an official statement, said that it was going to war alongside the Palestinians against Israel. This implies that all Hezbollah-affiliated militias in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, Yemen and Jordan are called upon to strike Israel.
Unconfirmed sources at 18:21 reported an attack on a US NAVY ship in the Middle East. The USNS Big Horn was targeted and damaged, according to an initial report. This ship is operating with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group in the region.
The IDF has officially designated the name for its ongoing operations in Lebanon: “Operation Northern Arrows.” “There is no need to give Hezbollah a break, continue to work hard. Today we will accelerate offensive operations and close all formations,” said Herzi Halevi, Israel’s Chief of Staff.
The IDF also said that the attack on a building in Lebanon, in Beirut, was aimed at Talal Hamieh, commander of Unit 910. According to Russia’s TASS, “Hezbollah commander Talal Hamieh may have been killed in an Israeli attack in Beirut.” “Hezbollah’s rocket and missile division commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed in an IDF airstrike in Beirut,” Reuters reported. Hezbollah has called on Israelis in the north to immediately evacuate to the ‘green areas’ (Tel-Aviv or Eilat),” Sabereen and Iraqi media sources said.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said: “Iraq is the only country that has opened its doors to Lebanon and aid is arriving in all fields, especially in health.”
And now a look at the fronts between Israel and Hezbollah updated at 18:00 on September 24.
Israeli airstrikes reported in Iraq. Massive Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, also reaching central Lebanon. The Damascus-Beirut road (Highway 30) was also reportedly hit, the road is currently also used by civilians fleeing from southern Lebanon to Syria.
Massive Israeli incursions into southern Lebanon were recorded throughout the morning. Over 1,600 Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon in the morning alone. September 23 was, according to Lebanese media, “perhaps the most tense and direct exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel and there is likely to be serious escalations for the rest of the week.”
Israeli airstrikes against Tyre, over Chahanie, reports of an airstrike against Dehiyeh, Beirut. At 08:46 after three to four hours of calm, a wave of Israeli airstrikes were reported in southern Lebanon. Again in the afternoon it was reported that: “The IDF has now launched a large wave of attacks against targets in Lebanon,” Israel Army Radio, the official IDF news outlet, said.
Hezbollah responded to the airstrikes with rocket fire against northern Israel. In one hour Hezbollah launched over 105 rockets at Israel,” Channel 12 said. “Hezbollah launched 220 rockets on September 24, the highest number since October 8.” Source: Haaretz, left-wing anti-Likud outlet. Areas hit hardest: Afula multiple times. Casualties reported in Megiddo, west of Afula, and Nazareth hit multiple times; impacts recorded in the Galilee region of Israel – no sirens sounded. Possible failure of Israeli defense systems in the area.
Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross) reports numerous injuries in the Galilee, where Iron Dome failed to intercept. There are reports of deaths in the area, currently unconfirmed. Explosions heard near Ramat David air base, central Israel, likely interceptions in the sky.
Red alert in northern Haifa and several surrounding settlements, impacts reported in Yerka and Tamra, sirens sound at Ramat David Air Base, Israel.
Rocket barrage toward Kiryat Shmona, sirens sounded. “Hezbollah rockets hit multiple targets in Kiryat Shmona and surrounding areas,” Yair Altman, Channel 14 war correspondent. At least “Nine wounded have arrived at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya so far this morning from Hezbollah rockets,” source Galilee Medical Center in Israel. More wounded in Haifa, confirmed by Rambam Health Care Campus.
Direct hit in Eliakim, south of Haifa, Israel: a dozen wounded reported. Wounded reported in Daliyat al-Karmel, south of Haifa, Israel. Most likely due to shrapnel, no direct hits were recorded.
At 12:30 new rocket attacks from southern Lebanon, hitting the Jezreel Valley, northern Israel, the Yokneam area.
BBC correspondent in Haifa: “There is great destruction in Haifa and the amount of rockets is large. It is not possible to speak of the large number of deaths and injured due to military control. Haifa witnesses large-scale displacement, while mayor calls for Haifa not to be evacuated”. Heavy roadblock towards Haifa and Acre, sirens sound in multiple settlements in Western Galilee
A major incident declared in Jadeidi-Makr, northern Israel: numerous victims reported, some in very serious condition, after Hezbollah rockets hit. Explosions heard in Rosh Pina and Safed likely interceptions in the sky.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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