Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said today that the country is expecting “complicated days” as Israel today strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and urged Israelis to remain united as the military campaign unfolds.

“I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of power in the north – that is exactly what we are doing,” the Israeli prime minister said in a message after assessing the situation at military headquarters in Tel Aviv. He added that Israel “expects threats” following the strikes in Lebanon.

At least 182 people were killed and 727 wounded, including women, children and medical personnel, in today’s Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s health ministry said in its latest preliminary assessment.

Israel is currently focusing only on airstrikes and that it has no plans to enter Lebanon from the ground in the near future, an IDF official told the Associated Press (AP).

In recent days, the scenario of an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon had been reinforced in order to limit the ability of Hezbollah to continue attacking Israeli territory.

Meanwhile, following IDF warnings to residents in southern Lebanon to begin evacuations as attacks in the Bekaa Valley are imminent, the Lebanese “Al-Mayadeen” channel, which is pro-Hezbollah, reported that Israel has already attacked three villages. Already, however, images are circulating of increased traffic in areas of Lebanon and residents attempting to reach safer areas.

In addition, Lebanese Education Minister Abbas Halabi said today that schools in areas of the country targeted by Israeli strikes will remain closed today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a telecommunications company in Lebanon said Israel made more than 80,000 phone calls urging residents to evacuate their homes.