Following Israel's strikes in Lebanon on Monday, casualties were reported to have been caused by secondary explosions, according to an Israeli military spokesperson. Daniel Hagari, during a press briefing, mentioned that there were numerous secondary explosions resulting from the targeting of buildings that contained dangerous munitions, rockets, and missiles.
Hagari stated that it is likely some of the casualties were a result of these secondary explosions. He emphasized that Hezbollah was accountable for the situation, alleging that the militant group was using civilian homes to store its weapons. While Hagari presented photos purportedly showing long-range rockets stored inside a house in Lebanon, the authenticity of these images could not be independently verified.
The spokesperson further mentioned that among those killed were a significant number of Hezbollah terrorists who were in close proximity to the targeted weapons. He acknowledged a high number of casualties resulting from the airstrikes.
Lebanon's health ministry reported that at least 356 individuals, including 24 children and 42 women, have been killed during Israel's aerial offensive against Hezbollah on Monday. This marked the deadliest escalation since the 2006 war between the two sides.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed support for the operation, praising the effectiveness of the strikes in restoring Israeli deterrence. Lapid highlighted the elimination of targets and the strategic impact of the offensive.