BEIRUT, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes targeted dozens of towns and villages in eastern and southern Lebanon on Wednesday, killing 31 people and injuring 27 others, according to official and military sources in Lebanon.

The Lebanese military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes and drones carried out 55 airstrikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon, including 17 raids on the southeast village of Khiam.

The official National News Agency (NNA) said that Israeli warplanes targeted the nuns' neighborhood in the city of Nabatieh on Wednesday, destroying several buildings.

Meanwhile, towns and villages surrounding the eastern city of Baalbek were also subjected to 15 raids.

NNA reported that there was a massive displacement movement following Israel's evacuation warning in Baalbek, in which about 100,000 citizens left their homes within several hours.

Many teams from the Civil Defense, the Lebanese Red Cross, and the Islamic Health Authority are still working to remove the rubble of destroyed homes in search of missing persons.

For its part, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that its fighters bombed several Israeli targets with dozens of missiles and drones, including the Adam Camp for special forces training southeast of Tel Aviv and a missile defense and regional brigade base east of Hadera.

Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has been launching an unprecedented, intensive air attack on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

Since Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border amid fears of a broader conflict as the war between Hamas and Israel continues in the Gaza Strip. ■