JERUSALEM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said Thursday night that it has begun striking Hezbollah launch sites in Lebanon.
The strikes came hours after the military issued evacuation warnings for parts of Beirut and shortly after Israel announced plans to begin negotiations with the Lebanese government next week in Washington.
Speaking to troops in Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said the army's mission is to "continue deepening the damage and to continue weakening Hezbollah." He added that Lebanon is now Israel's "primary arena of fighting" and that the goal is to remove threats to residents of northern Israel.
The death toll from Israel's Wednesday attacks across Lebanon has risen to 303, with 1,150 wounded, according to a preliminary report Thursday from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. The ministry said search and rescue operations are ongoing in multiple locations, with authorities recovering bodies from rubble and identifying victims, including through DNA testing.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 1,888 people and wounded 6,092, the ministry said. Wednesday's escalation included more than 100 airstrikes across Lebanon, causing widespread casualties and destruction.
Israel has said a U.S.-Iran ceasefire does not cover the conflict in Lebanon, a position disputed by Iran and mediator Pakistan, with Tehran calling Lebanon an "inseparable" part of the truce. ■
