Israel Urges Lebanese to Avoid Hezbollah Sites as Strikes Intensify
The Israeli military is carrying out extensive airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as cross-border attacks between the two sides escalate.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari has urged Lebanese civilians to leave areas used by the Iran-backed group for military activities. Over the weekend, Hezbollah launched strikes deep into Israel, hitting targets in the city of Haifa.
On Sunday, Hezbollah's deputy leader declared that the group is now engaged in an open-ended battle of reckoning with Israel. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has stated that the US will do everything possible to prevent the conflict from escalating.
Tensions rise in Middle East over Weekend of Deadly Strikes
Today's strikes come after fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified over the weekend.
Lebanon-based Hezbollah fired 150 projectiles into Israel in retaliation for recent attacks against the group, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Some of these projectiles struck further south into Israel than any previous attack from Lebanon since October 8, 2023, causing damage to homes.
In response, Israel launched airstrikes on targets in southern Lebanon, claiming to have destroyed thousands of Hezbollah’s rocket launchers. A funeral was held for Hezbollah operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday. Aqil was wanted by both Israel and the US, which had placed a $7 million bounty on his head for his alleged role in the deaths of hundreds of Americans in Beirut in the 1980s.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 45 people, including three children, were killed in the Friday strike. Videos on social media show large explosions in southern Lebanon as the Israeli military began widespread strikes on Hezbollah targets, citing plans for large-scale rocket attacks on Israel.
The Israeli military stated that today’s strikes are expected to be more intense than the heavy bombardment seen yesterday. Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that residents in southern Lebanon had been warned to keep their distance from Hezbollah positions. When asked about a possible ground incursion, Hagari responded that Israel would do whatever is necessary to ensure the safe return of evacuated residents of northern Israel.
Hezbollah launched missiles deeper into Israeli territory yesterday. The group had previously pledged to fight until a ceasefire in Gaza, but at a funeral for a top commander killed by Israel, Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem declared that an “open-ended battle of reckoning” had now begun.
Read also: Hezbollah Blames Israel for Deadly Pager Explosions in Lebanon
