New Delhi: Amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, Israel and Lebanon agreed on Sunday to hold off on escalating the conflict for now, though they warned of potential future strikes. This decision comes after one of the most intense exchanges of missile and rocket fire in over 10 months of border fighting between the two countries.
Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces launched strikes on dozens of “terror targets” in Lebanon using around 100 fighter jets, claiming self-defense. In response, Hezbollah fired over 320 Katyusha rockets from Lebanon into Israeli territory. These attacks increased the risk of a larger conflict in the Middle East, which is already dealing with the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
Hezbollah Completes Retaliatory Attack For Commander’s Killing
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated that the group, backed by Iran, had finished its planned rocket attack in retaliation for the killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr last month, according to a report by Reuters.
Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was soon followed by the death of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, with Iran promising to retaliate against Israel.
However, Nasrallah said Hezbollah would review the impact of its rocket attacks and emphasized that “if the outcome isn’t sufficient, we reserve the right to strike again.”
Israel-Lebanon Strikes Leave Four Dead
Sunday’s strikes between Israel and Lebanon resulted in four deaths—three in Lebanon and one in Israel. Following this, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the country does not seek a full-scale war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that “this is not the end of the story.”
Two diplomats informed Reuters that both Israel and Lebanon wanted to avoid further escalation and exchanged messages saying the conflict was “over.”
Hezbollah Delays Retaliation For Ceasefire Talk
The risk of a full-scale Middle East war grew after 12 people were killed in a missile strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, followed by the Israeli military’s killing of Shukr.
A Hezbollah official mentioned that the group had postponed its retaliation to allow for ceasefire talks and carefully planned its attack on Israel to prevent a full-scale war.
US Monitors Situation And Provides Intelligence
The US stated that it was not involved in Israel’s strikes on Sunday, but President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation in the region. A US official mentioned that Washington did provide some intelligence on incoming Hezbollah attacks.
Also Read: Israel Declares 48-Hour Emergency As Hezbollah Launches Drone Attacks To Avenge Lebanon Strikes
