As the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah continues to intensify, the threat of a full-scale war has grown ominously. Throughout the weekend, Hizbullah escalated its offensive as northern Israel, including areas of the harbour town Haifa, experienced a barrage of hundreds of rockets, placing over a million Israeli residents under threat. In response, Israeli aircraft targeted and destroyed numerous Hizbullah sites, allegedly taking out thousands of rocket launchers.
Additionally, across the Golan Heights in southern Israel, several projectiles, launched from Iraq, were successfully intercepted. Near the Red Sea resort locale of Eilat, a cruise missile, also shot from Iraq, was obstructed.
Hizbullah’s deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, disclosed the Iranian-supported faction has entered into a new stage in its conflict against Israel, which he characterised as an “unending battle for retribution”.
The outbreak of violence follows the tragic incident in Beirut’s Dahiye district in which approximately 50 people, comprising of women and children, lost their lives following an Israeli attack on a building. The location was a significant Hizbullah area and was also the meeting point for the group’s senior militant leaders, such as leader of elite Radwan force, Ibrahim Aqil. There were speculations that a grand Radwan offensive to infiltrate the Galilee across the border was in contemplation.
Israeli sources have underlined that this particular assault in Beirut greatly outstripped the previous week’s operations, in which devices used by the militants, such as pagers and radios exploded throughout Lebanon.
The conflict along the border was initiated a day post the Hamas assault from Gaza on southern Israel on October 7th, propelling over 60,000 Israelis to abandon the Lebanese border vicinity.
Owing to the rising attacks, educational institutions in northern Israel pivoted to remote learning. Furthermore, large gatherings, inclusive of sports events, had to be cancelled and the airspace over the north was sealed. Hospitals took precautions to relocate their patients to more secure locations.
In an announcement from his office in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated that Israel had delivered a series of significant counterblows against Hizbullah, which the latter could not have anticipated. He warned that should Hizbullah fail to comprehend the severity of the situation, Israel would ensure that the message is delivered unequivocally. The primary focus, as per Mr Netanyahu, is to ensure a safe return for the inhabitants of the north.
Similarly, The highest-ranking military official in Israel, Lieut. Gen Herzi Halevi, described Israel’s actions against Hizbullah as a stern warning to any entities in the Middle East intending to cause harm to Israelis. He expressed that Hizbullah would continue to be targeted until they fully appreciate that Israel’s citizens will be safely escorted home.
On the same day, John Kirby, the spokesperson for national security at the White House, stated that the US is engaged in preventing an all-out war between Israel and Hizbullah.
The European Union pushed for a swift ceasefire, pointing out that the current conflict had a high human cost for civilians on both ends of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, vowed on Sunday that the actions of Israel in Lebanon would not remain unanswered. Despite this, the prevailing belief in Israel is that Iran does not aim for a regional war currently and would rather sustain the ongoing war of attrition along Israel’s northern border.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres communicated his apprehension on Sunday that the ongoing unrest in Lebanon could escalate to a conflict on the same scale as the war between Israel and Hamas.
On Sunday, hospital authorities in Gaza reported the death of at least seven individuals due to an Israeli offensive on a school compound within Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp. Israel maintained that the strike targeted militant presence within the previously established school area.
In an unprecedented action, Israeli forces conducted a raid on Al Jazeera’s satellite news network office in the West Bank’s Ramallah, ordering a shut down early Sunday. The Israel administration perceives the broadcaster, heavily funded by Qatar and renowned across the Arab world, as antagonistic and previously curbed its transmissions within the country.