In response to an Israeli air assault which ended the life of a senior leader, Hizbullah declared that it had unleashed a barrage of over 200 rockets towards the northern regions of Israel. Tensions heightened significantly on Thursday between the two parties. The rocket onslaught, one of the largest orchestrated by the Lebanese insurgency since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas feud the past October, occurred amidst apprehensions that hostile interactions between Israel and Hizbullah, one of the world’s most formidable non-sovereign military powers, might erupt into a full-scale war.
Responding to Israel’s assassination of Mohammad Naameh Nasser, one of the faction’s top figures in southern Lebanon, on Wednesday, Hizbullah stated its missiles were targeted towards various Israeli military installations. In the immediate wake of Nasser’s death, the Iran-affiliated faction had also fired an initial set of rockets towards northern Israel and the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.
The Israeli defense sector reported on Thursday that “around 200 projectile weapons” and over 20 drones had been directed towards Israel, and a counterattack had targeted military compounds in Ramyeh and Houla, located in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s state-managed National News Agency, the assault on Houla resulted in at least one casualty. Meanwhile, Israel’s military confirmed the death of a soldier due to Hizbullah’s extensive rocket attack.
Hizbullah and Israeli troops have been regularly exchanging fire since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza on October 7th, the next day seeing the first Hizbullah missile offensives in support of Hamas. Despite the violent exchanges displacing numerous civilians and causing injuries and deaths, a full-scale war has been avoided so far. An initiative led by the US aims to encourage both sides to reduce tensions.
Regardless, Israeli authorities have consistently stated their readiness to resort to military action if diplomatic negotiations do not prevail, with operational plans for a potential offensive in Lebanon being approved by the Israel Defense Forces a fortnight ago. Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defence Minister, affirmed on Wednesday that Israel would “attain total preparedness for any required action in Lebanon, or secure a settlement from a position of power”.
Maintaining the original meaning, yet using different choices of words and sentence structures: “He expressed that while peace is the preferred route, they could also face situations head-on if they have to. The Financial Times reports that Hizbullah has seen more than 320 of its warriors fall since the dispute kicked off in the previous October. Some high-ranking officers were among these casualties, as stated by an insider from the group. In addition, it’s not just Hizbullah who’ve suffered losses; over 90 civilians residing in Lebanon have lost their lives in the clash according to the same source. Meanwhile, in the northern regions of Israel, cross-border conflicts have led to the demise of no less than 18 military men, along with 11 non-combatants. Hizbullah spokespersons have continuously stated that a full-blown conflict with Israel isn’t their ambition. Nevertheless, they’ve remained adamant on their stance of not ceasing fire until Israel and Hamas in Gaza establish a ceasefire. — The Financial Times Limited 2024 retains copyright.”