Israel Says 3,500 Targets Hit in Lebanon as Fighting with Hezbollah Intensifies

Jerusalem — Israel said on Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon over the past month, as hostilities with the Iran-backed Hezbollah escalated in the wake of the broader regional conflict.

The Israeli military said the strikes targeted what it described as militant infrastructure, including weapons depots, launch sites and command centers, adding that around 1,000 fighters had been killed during the campaign.

Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 1,345 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded since the fighting began, including civilians and 53 healthcare workers. The ministry said the casualties included men, women and children, though Hezbollah has not publicly disclosed its own losses.

The conflict expanded to Lebanon on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel, which it said were in response to earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has since carried out extensive airstrikes and initiated a ground offensive, significantly intensifying the conflict along its northern front.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Hezbollah’s leadership, including chief Naim Qassem, would face severe consequences for continued attacks, particularly during the Jewish holiday of Passover.

He said Israeli forces aim to push Hezbollah fighters away from southern Lebanon, maintain security control over the Litani area and dismantle the group’s military capabilities.

The escalation has heightened concerns of a broader regional conflict, as cross-border exchanges continue and civilian casualties rise.