BEIRUT — The death toll from Monday’s Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon has surged to 356, including women and children, according to official figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Among those killed are 42 women and 24 children, with an additional 1,246 individuals reported injured.

Health Minister Firas Abiad noted that the airstrikes have forced thousands of residents, particularly those near the border, to flee towards northern Lebanon.

In response, Lebanese authorities have opened schools and other facilities to accommodate civilians displaced by the attacks.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi instructed governors to ensure full cooperation with the mass evacuation from the southern regions.

The Israeli army claimed it had struck over 1,100 Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours, utilizing more than 1,400 munitions in approximately 650 sorties over Lebanon.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has resulted in over 41,400 deaths, primarily among women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.

The international community has expressed concerns regarding the strikes on Lebanon, warning that they could escalate the conflict in Gaza into a regional crisis. — Agencies