BEIRUT, October 1. /TASS/. The number of fatalities of the September 29 strike by Israeli aviation on the village of Ain El Delb in southern Lebanon has climbed to 71, Al Mayadeen reported.

According to the TV channel, first responders finished removing the rubble.

Earlier, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported 45 fatalities and 70 wounded. According to it, a residential building was completely destroyed.

The latest escalation between Israel and the Lebanon-based Shiite party Hezbollah began after a series of communication device explosions in Lebanon on September 17 and 18. The Lebanese group blamed the blasts on Israel. While Israeli officials have not yet commented on the developments, they announced intensifying its military operation in the North before Israel delivered air strikes on southern Lebanon and also attacked Beirut.

On September 23, Israel launched an offensive operation, dubbed Northern Arrows, aimed at undermining the military infrastructure of Hezbollah, carrying out massive air strikes across Lebanon, with dozens of settlements in the south and east of the country targeted. On September 27, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in one of the Israeli strikes on Beirut with his death officially confirmed by the Shiite party.

Overnight on October 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a limited ground operation in Lebanon’s borderline areas.