Israel’s full-scale airstrike operation in Lebanon continued on 24 September, resulting in a rising death toll of 558, 50 of them children, and with an additional 1,835 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. Israel and Lebanon-based Islamist militant group Hezbollah have been embroiled in skirmishes over several months since the start of the War on Gaza on 7 October. Several regional neighbors, including Egypt, had previously warned of the war escalating to other parts of the region — calling for a ceasefire agreement multiple times. Israel’s recent attacks in Lebanon serve as the outcome of Egypt’s and several other government’s warnings, resulting in a series of large-scale airstrikes in civilian areas that began on 22 September. As the strikes continue, residents of Beirut have reported receiving phone messages urging them to evacuate areas where Hezbollah is believed to be operating or storing weapons. Lebanon’s Information Minister, Ziad Makary, confirmed that “a large number of citizens in Beirut” had received these “unified random telephone messages via the terrestrial network,” calling for their evacuation. Israel has a history of using phone or text message warnings ahead of airstrikes, a tactic previously…
