Israel's Iron dome thwarts Hezbollah rocket barrage amidst escalating Middle East conflict (WATCH)

The Iron Dome, Israel's iconic anti-missile system, was back in operation on Monday, intercepting the bulk of rockets fired by Hezbollah hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Iran-backed terrorist group hideouts in Lebanon. Hezbollah's indiscriminate strikes occurred in retaliation to the IDF's 300 airstrikes on Hezbollah sites, which killed over 250 people and wounded hundreds. The Israeli military also advised people to expect Hezbollah-launched missiles and drones, with air alert sirens blasting over Haifa and Carmel in the north.

"Israeli enemy strikes on southern towns and villages since this morning have killed 274 people and wounded 1,024 others," a statement from the Lebanese health ministry claimed, adding that "children, women, and paramedics" were among the victims.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) revealed in a post on the social networking site X that over 300 Hezbollah targets were hit in Lebanon on Monday. The Israeli army also released a photo of military leader Lt Gen Herzi Halevi approving fresh assaults from military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The head of Israel's army claimed that the military actions carried out on Monday in southern and eastern Lebanon were destroying combat infrastructure that Hezbollah had been constructing for two decades.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated in a statement that the army was "preparing for the next phases" of the operation and that "basically, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Lebanese people to move away from danger as the Israeli military pounded Hezbollah targets in the country’s south and east on Monday.

• Hezbollah
• Iron dome
• Middle East
• Israel
• IDF