Lebanon's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to 123: health authorities

The Israeli strikes have killed 123 people and wounded 683 others in Lebanon so far, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said on Thursday.

The casualties have been rising since the Israeli military launched a new wave of attacks against targets of Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Monday.

The Israeli Defense Forces said on Thursday that it has hit more than 320 targets across Lebanon.

At around 23:00 Thursday local time, Israel launched an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs -- a Hezbollah stronghold, causing huge explosions. The air raid followed an emergency evacuation warning from the Israeli army earlier in the day, marking the first time that Israel has ordered a full evacuation of the area in the Lebanese capital.

Similar evacuation orders have also been issued for multiple towns in east Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, as the Israeli army plans to strike Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the area.

In the early hours of Thursday, an Israeli drone strike targeted a residential apartment in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, killing two people, including a Hamas official, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

Hezbollah issued a statement the same day, saying that it had fired missiles, rockets and other weapons toward Israel in retaliation for the attacks, hitting Israeli military complexes, soldiers, and other targets.

Hezbollah's rocket strike on Thursday triggered air raid sirens across Israel's northern areas.

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, Israel has continued to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are aimed at eliminating Hezbollah "threats".

This week's escalating conflict comes after Israel, along with the United States, launched joint military actions against Iran on Feb 28. The Israeli-U.S. strikes are still ongoing, after killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his family members and top military commanders, as well as many civilians.

Lebanon's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to 123: health authorities

Lebanon's death toll from Israeli strikes rises to 123: health authorities

China firmly opposes the military strikes against Iran by Israel and the United States, and calls for an immediate halt of the military actions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Mao was responding to a media inquiry regarding the Iran situation.

"China opposes the military strikes against Iran by the United States and Israel which violate international law, and supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and national dignity, as well as its legitimate rights and interests. China has consistently advocated for resolving issues through political and diplomatic means and calls for an immediate halt of the military actions, so as to prevent the spread and spillover of the war and avoid further escalation of the situation," Mao said.

China opposes military strikes against Iran by Israel, US, urges immediate halt of military actions: FM spokeswoman