Deadliest day since WWI: 558 Lebanese killed in 24 hours by Israeli airstrikes

Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Lebanon has not witnessed such a devastating loss of life in a single day, even during its most violent conflicts. Over the past 24 hours, 558 Lebanese have been killed in a series of relentless Israeli airstrikes. 

This staggering toll marks one of the bloodiest days in the country's modern history, surpassing even some of the worst days of the Lebanese Civil War.

During the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, approximately 1,130 Lebanese were killed over a month. Nearly 50% of that total has already been reached in just one day during this current escalation.

For comparison, the Lebanese Civil War, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, saw some of the deadliest days in the country’s history. On December 6, 1975, known as "Black Saturday," an estimated 200 to 220 people were killed. 

During the Karantina Massacre on January 17-18, 1976, around 1,000 people were killed in two days, although many of the victims were Palestinians and Syrians alongside Lebanese. 

Two days later, during the attack on Damour between January 19 and 20, 1976, another 400-500 Lebanese were killed within 48 hours.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre on September 16-18, 1982, between 2,000 and 2,500 people were killed, though the majority of those victims were Palestinian refugees, and no definitive death toll was ever established.

Fast forward to September 23, 2024, a new chapter of bloodshed was written. 

Among the worst-hit areas were Harouf, which saw over 20 people killed, Kharayeb with 14, Al-Hosh in Tyre with 9, Sarafand with 8, Bodai with 10, Chaat with 12, Khodor with 6, and Sohmor with 10. 

In summary, the death toll of September 23, 2024, may well be the highest in a single day for Lebanon since World War I. 

Will the bloodshed stop, or if is this just the beginning of another tragic chapter for the Lebanese people?