Israel launched massive heavy airstrikes Friday evening on the suburbs of Beirut, which were the stronghold for the militant group Hezbollah. Heavily smoky clouds filled the sky, and buildings were shaken in Lebanon’s capital due to the attacks said to hit the southern suburb of the city. At least one building was destroyed in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood, with many cars burned. People ran for cover on streets strewn with rubble.
The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, although it did not mention specific details. It claimed to have killed around 100 Hezbollah fighters in the last 24 hours. Since the conflict escalated in late September, more than 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians and Hezbollah members, have been killed, and 1.2 million people have been forced to leave their homes.
Israel’s Targeting Of The Lebanon-Syria Border
Most of the Israeli aerial attacks have been on the main highway connecting Lebanon with Syria, just a few kilometers from the Masnaa Border Crossing. In this attack, the road was impassable with large craters that prevented cars from passing; people were seen walking alongside their belongings and making their ways to Syria.
They said the reason Israel attacked the crossing was that Hezbollah had used it to ship in arms. Over the past two weeks, more than 250,000 Syrians and 82,000 Lebanese have fled into Syria because of the growing violence.
Also Read: Hashem Safieddine, Top Hezbollah Commander And Hassan Nasrallah’s Likely Successor, Targeted In Israeli Strike In Beirut.
Hezbollah’s Response And Continued Fighting
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched about 100 rockets toward Israel. This is part of a wider conflict between the two countries as Israel seeks to quell Hezbollah’s attacks on its northern areas. Israeli officials said that their mission was to clear Hezbollah fighters from the border region to make it safe for Israeli residents to return home.
Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon have been on since Tuesday with hot clashes. Nine Israelis have been reportedly killed thus far in those clashes, and a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel killed two more soldiers.
Iran’s Role And Warnings
Iran is another significant supporter of Hezbollah. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a visit to Beirut that Iran will retaliate very strongly if Israel attacks it. This comes after the ballistic missile attacks from the country targeting Israel earlier in the week after the Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was a consequence of the attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which claimed over 1,200 lives and took 250 hostages, on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has carried out large-scale invasion in Gaza and massacred at least 41,000 Palestinians, including women and children.
India’s Response And Global Concern
India has reacted to the rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly now with Israel and Iran. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top officials to discuss the nature of conflict and possible implications. The Indian government appeals to both parties to address their issues through dialogue and not to take steps that can draw it further into crisis.
