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Israeli military bombed a high-rise building after Lebanaese officials ordering evacuation and issuing a threat of attack in Bashura, one of Beirut’s central neighborhoods, Lebanon on March 18, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]
At least 22 people were killed and 110 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, taking the death toll to 1,116 since March 2, the Health Ministry said, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the ministry said the tally included 83 women and 121 children, while 3,229 people were injured, including 454 women and 399 children.
Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by the Hezbollah group on March 2.
The current escalation came amid a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed more than 1,340 people since Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, US bases and Gulf countries.
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Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
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Firefighters work where rockets fired by Hezbollah reportedly struck several locations in Nahariya, Israel’s northern Galilee region, on March 16, 2026. [Samir Abdalhade – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli media reported Thursday that Hezbollah launched about 600 rockets, drones and mortar rounds over the past 24 hours, most of them targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, Anadolu reports.
According to Channel 24, the projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory and troops operating in southern Lebanon.
“More than half of the launches were directed at Israeli forces,” the channel said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that Hezbollah has launched more than 3,500 rockets, shells and drones toward Israel since the current conflict began early this month.
Earlier Thursday, the Israeli military said a soldier was killed in combat in southern Lebanon, where hostilities have escalated since March 2.
According to military figures, three Israeli soldiers have so far been killed in southern Lebanon.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said Golani Brigade forces continued “focused ground operations” to expand what it described as a “forward security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by the Hezbollah group on March 2.
Lebanese authorities say at least 1,094 people have been killed and 3,119 injured in Israeli attacks since then.
The current escalation came amid a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran which has killed more than 1,340 people since Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, US bases and Gulf countries.
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Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
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Smoke rises after Iranian-sourced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carried out an attack on a fuel depot at Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 25, 2026. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]
The Gulf countries and Jordan on Wednesday strongly denounced Iranian attacks as a “flagrant violation” of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, affirming their full right to self-defense, Anadolu reports.
In a joint statement, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan said attacks carried out by Iran or its proxies constitute “a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.”
They particularly cited attacks launched by Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq as “a breach of international laws and conventions,” and “a blatant violation” of UN Security Council 2817, which demands Iran cease all assaults and threats against neighboring countries.
The statement called on the Iraqi government to take “the necessary measures” to halt attacks by armed groups against neighbors “in order to preserve fraternal relations and prevent further escalation.”
Signatories reaffirmed their full right to self-defense “against these criminal attacks,” and to take all necessary measures “to preserve their sovereignty, security, and stability.”
They also condemned acts and activities “that undermine the security and stability of the region’s countries, planned by sleeper cells loyal to Iran and terrorist organizations linked to Hezbollah.”
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
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Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
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Firefighters work where rockets fired by Hezbollah reportedly struck several locations in Nahariya, Israel’s northern Galilee region, on March 16, 2026. [Samir Abdalhade – Anadolu Agency]
Signs of growing shock within Israeli political and military circles are emerging over Hezbollah’s military capabilities, with officials acknowledging that previous intelligence assessments may have significantly underestimated the group’s strength.
The reassessment follows Hezbollah’s forceful entry into the confrontation alongside the ongoing regional war involving Iran, prompting concerns in Israel about the prospect of a prolonged war of attrition.
According to Hebrew media reports and analysis, earlier Israeli evaluations suggested that Hezbollah’s capabilities had weakened, particularly after disruptions to supply lines linked to developments in Syria.
However, recent battlefield developments appear to have contradicted those assumptions.
Momen Miqdad, a researcher specialising in Israeli affairs, said a state of surprise now prevails within the Israeli establishment, particularly given Hezbollah’s military performance after months of relative silence.
“Hezbollah maintained silence despite Israeli strikes and assassinations targeting its members in southern Lebanon, which gave the occupation the false impression that its capabilities had declined,” he said.
Miqdad added that Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12, had previously reported intelligence assessments indicating that Hezbollah had become weaker than in previous years.
“These assessments have now been proven inaccurate by developments on the ground,” he said.
The shift in perception has raised concerns within Israel about the scale of Hezbollah’s preparedness and the potential for an extended and costly confrontation along the northern front.
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Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSUp-NdHd88Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. https://youtu.be/KIKaT7rMClYClimate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Israeli army vehicles maneuver across the border inside a destroyed Lebanese village as seen from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on March 16, 2026. (Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
“There is no clear exit strategy for this war. While in theory Israel is trying to coerce Lebanon into disarming Hezbollah, it is unlikely that can happen,” said one analyst.
More than 800,000 Lebanese people who have been forced from their homes in southern Lebanon in the last two weeks have little hope of returning soon as the Israeli government on Monday announced its military had begun “limited and targeted ground operations” in and around the strategic southern town of Khiam, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
The ground attacks represent a significant expansion of the Israel Defense Forces’ ground operations. On March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the US and Israel’s killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel began sending troops into Lebanon to bolster the presence the IDF has had there in five areas since a 2024 ceasefire.
Until now, ground forces have conducted “limited incursions,” Axios reported.
Israel has also launched airstrikes in Lebanon, killing at least 850 people—including 107 children and 66 women—since it was joined by the US late last month in abruptly ending diplomatic negotiations and attacking Iran.
The Times of Israel reported that the IDF carried out “massive airstrikes and artillery shelling ‘to remove threats’” over the weekend before the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division began raiding the eastern section of southern Lebanon in attacks that the military said killed several Hezbollah operatives.
Israel conducted raids on towns including Burj Qalawiya, Sultyaniya, Chaqra, Qantara, and as-Sawana on Monday, according to Al Jazeera Arabic, with the military saying the 91st Division had “begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.”
A major target of the ramped up ground attacks was Khiam, a Hezbollah stronghold that lies at a strategic junction of roads leading to the eastern and western sections of southern Lebanon.
“What Israel has been trying to do is really cut the supply lines and the difficult capabilities of Hezbollah, so it’s unable to bring in more weapons and fighters to areas south of the Litani River,” reported Zeina Khodr of Al Jazeera.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that due to what the IDF claimed will be “limited and targeted ground operations,” close to a million people who have fled their homes in southern Lebanon “will not return to their homes south of the Litani River until the security of the residents of [northern Israel] is guaranteed.”
While claiming the operation in southern Lebanon will be “limited,” Katz also said the operation is intended to resemble Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has continued despite a ceasefire that was reached last October, has killed more than 75,000 Palestinians, and has been called a genocide by leading human rights groups and scholars.
Dozens of healthcareworkers have been killed in Israeli strikes since the IDF began attacking Lebanon earlier this month; in Gaza, more than 1,500 doctors, nurses, and medics have been killed in October 2023. One attack that killed two paramedics this week in the southern village of Kfarsir was reportedly a “double-tap” strike in which first responders were killed when they arrived to help victims of an initial strike on a building.
The charity group Save the Children on Monday described children “clutching beloved pets and toys as they flee their homes in Lebanon due to the escalating conflict,” and said nearly 300,000 children are among those who have been forcibly displaced.
More than 130,000 people are sheltering in overcrowded schools that have been repurposed as refugee shelters, said the group, and families have had to leave their homes without time to gather crucial documents, clothes, or medications.
“Many families were forced to flee in the middle of the night with nothing, and children miss their homes, their villages, their friends, and their schools,” said Nora Ingdal, country director for Save the Children Lebanon. “I met a child who told me, ‘I’m not able to play here and I just want to go back to my village as soon as possible.’ One child I met clutched his blue toy car, as it was the only thing he had managed to bring from home.”
“Hostilities must end and children must be protected at all costs,” said Ingdal. “We know children are always the most impacted in any conflict, and the psychological impacts last long after any conflict ends.”
The IDF is reportedly calling up 450,000 reservists to carry out the ground invasion, and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that a senior Northern Command official told reservists in a briefing that the operation could continue “until Shavuot,” a Jewish holiday falling between May 21-23.
“We will stay as long as necessary,” the official said.
Lebanese security sources told Reuters Monday that the IDF had effectively taken control of Khiam and were advancing west toward the Litani River, which could cut off parts of southern Lebanon from the rest of the country.
Katz has also threatened to seize territory in the southern area in an effort to uproot Hezbollah.
Geopolitical analyst Shaiel Ben-Ephraim said Israel appears to be using “coercive diplomacy” and expressing a willingness to hold direct talks with Lebanon in the coming days.
“Israel is applying the Daheyia Doctrine, which uses overwhelming, disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by Hezbollah to deter future attacks,” said Ben-Ephraim. “However, they plan to use this increasingly against Lebanese infrastructure to coerce Lebanon into a deal.”
The large scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon has begun. , This invasion is significantly larger in terms of manpower and organization than the 2006 Lebanon War. It is the largest since 1982. Here is what we know so far:
1) Divisions 162 and 98 are expected to join the fighting,…
“There is no clear exit strategy for this war. While in theory Israel is trying to coerce Lebanon into disarming Hezbollah, it is unlikely that can happen,” he said.
US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) emphasized that the expanded ground operation in Lebanon is one of several crises unfolding as a result of President Donald Trump’s decision to launch attacks against Iran with Israel.
“A broader, regional war is breaking out,” said Murphy. “Trump has no endgame. Iran and its proxies can create chaos indefinitely.”
“All of this was totally foreseeable,” he added. “Frankly, it’s why previous presidents weren’t so stupid to start a war like this. Trump has lost control of the war. His best course now is to cut his losses and end it. That’s the only way to prevent an even bigger disaster.”
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAKeir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
