Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon Amid Rising Tensions

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Israel has launched airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, hours after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed retaliation for deadly explosions that targeted the group’s communication devices, killing 37 people and injuring thousands.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, accused Israel of being behind the explosions, which destroyed thousands of pagers and radios used by its operatives in attacks that spanned two days. Israel has not yet commented on the incidents.

In his first address since the attacks, Nasrallah condemned the explosions as a “massacre” and a potential “act of war.” He warned that Israel would face “just punishment, where it expects it and where it does not.”

Shortly after Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli fighter jets flew over Beirut, causing panic as sonic booms rattled buildings. Israel’s military later confirmed that its jets targeted “approximately 100 launchers and additional terrorist infrastructure sites,” including around 1,000 barrels set to be fired imminently.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces conducted at least 52 strikes in southern Lebanon, marking one of the most intense bombardments in the region since border clashes began in October 2023. In response, Hezbollah launched 17 attacks on Israeli military sites in northern Israel.

The latest escalation follows Israel’s decision to shift its military focus to its northern border with Lebanon, having primarily concentrated its firepower on Hamas militants in Gaza for almost a year. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire, complicating international efforts to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a wider war.

International mediators have called for restraint, as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to escalate further. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all parties to avoid actions that could derail ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib described Israel’s recent attacks as a “blatant assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty,” warning that the situation could escalate into a broader conflict.

The cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah have resulted in hundreds of deaths in Lebanon, mostly among fighters, and dozens of deaths in Israel, including soldiers. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been displaced by the violence.

Hezbollah, which maintains that its actions are in support of Hamas, has vowed to continue its attacks on Israel as long as the war in Gaza persists. Nasrallah’s latest statements suggest that the group will not de-escalate anytime soon, further increasing the risk of a wider regional conflict.