Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon killed 182 people, including children, on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The strikes marked the deadliest escalation along the border in nearly a year and came amid an intensifying cross-border conflict, following the eruption of war in Gaza on October 7.

The conflict began when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel. As the violence spread, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has increasingly been drawn into the conflict. On Monday, Israel announced that it had targeted over 300 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, responding to Hezbollah's attacks on three locations in northern Israel.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, the Israeli strikes resulted in 727 wounded, with casualties including children, women, and paramedics. The bombardment has shattered villages and towns across southern Lebanon, leaving civilians trapped in the conflict.

"We sleep and wake up to bombardment... That's what our life has become," said Wafaa Ismail, a 60-year-old housewife from the village of Zawtar in southern Lebanon, capturing the distress of many civilians caught in the crossfire.

The rapid escalation has raised international concerns about a wider regional conflict, with world powers urging both Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the brink of all-out war. Over recent days, the violence has shifted from Israel's southern front with Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon, heightening fears of a broader war in the region.

Despite diplomatic efforts to de-escalate, the situation remains volatile as both sides continue their strikes, deepening the humanitarian crisis in southern Lebanon.

Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon killed 182 people, including children, on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The strikes marked the deadliest escalation along the border in nearly a year and came amid an intensifying cross-border conflict, following the eruption of war in Gaza on October 7.

The conflict began when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel. As the violence spread, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has increasingly been drawn into the conflict. On Monday, Israel announced that it had targeted over 300 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, responding to Hezbollah's attacks on three locations in northern Israel.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, the Israeli strikes resulted in 727 wounded, with casualties including children, women, and paramedics. The bombardment has shattered villages and towns across southern Lebanon, leaving civilians trapped in the conflict.

"We sleep and wake up to bombardment... That's what our life has become," said Wafaa Ismail, a 60-year-old housewife from the village of Zawtar in southern Lebanon, capturing the distress of many civilians caught in the crossfire.

The rapid escalation has raised international concerns about a wider regional conflict, with world powers urging both Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the brink of all-out war. Over recent days, the violence has shifted from Israel's southern front with Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon, heightening fears of a broader war in the region.

Despite diplomatic efforts to de-escalate, the situation remains volatile as both sides continue their strikes, deepening the humanitarian crisis in southern Lebanon.