Chart of the week: Death toll rises at rapid rate in Lebanon amid wave of Israeli strikes

Death toll during September escalation passes 700 as Israel focuses on 'new phase' of conflict

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The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since rigged pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to members of the Iran-backed group exploded across Lebanon last week.

Monday was by far the deadliest day since Israel and Hezbollah began cross-border strikes following the outbreak of the Gaza war last October. Health authorities reported at least 558 were killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

Our latest chart of the week focuses on how sharply the death toll has risen in September, with estimates exceeding 700. This figure comes in what Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant described as a "new phase" in the war, as Israel turns its attention to Lebanon.

Figures from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a non-profit organisation that specialises in conflict data collection, analysis and crisis mapping, log the number of deaths caused by Israeli strikes, shelling and artillery attacks during the month. The group recorded 111 deaths up until September 20, which included 37 deaths caused by the pager blasts and the walkie-talkie explosions that killed 25. This was followed by the strike on the Beirut suburb of Dahieh last Friday resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people, including senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil. These figures, along with the 558 people killed across southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley, bring the death toll in September to more than 700.

Before the latest escalation, Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah had been engaged in a low-level border conflict for almost a year. Since October 8, Hezbollah has launched numerous assaults on northern Israel in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel has responded with significant force – conducting nearly four times as many attacks as Hezbollah. By mid-September, Israeli forces had carried out more than 7,000 strikes along the border with Lebanon.