As a result of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, 182 people died and 890 were injured on Wednesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported, adding that this casualty figure is not final, LETA reported citing AFP.
The ministry also reported that since March 2, when the war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah began, 1,739 people have died in Lebanon and 5,873 have been injured.
The number of fatalities on Wednesday was the highest in a single day since the start of this conflict.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared Thursday a national day of mourning — government institutions will be closed, and flags will be flown at half-mast.
In a statement from the Prime Minister's office, it was said that this day will be a "national day of mourning for the martyrs and the wounded as a result of Israeli attacks directed against hundreds of innocent, defenseless civilians."
Salam's office also reported that the Prime Minister is participating in diplomatic efforts aimed at "mobilizing all political and diplomatic resources of Lebanon to stop the Israeli killing machine."
The Israeli army struck hundreds of Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Wednesday, including the most powerful attacks on Beirut since the war began. Israel believes that a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon, where it is engaged in combat against the Iranian-backed Shiite group Hezbollah.
