Hezbollah rocket barrage/ Nasrallah retaliates with rockets/ Hezbollah strikes Israel border/ Newslooks/ JERUSALEM/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Hezbollah launched 140 rockets at northern Israel on Friday, escalating tensions after the group vowed retaliation for Israeli strikes. The rockets targeted Israeli air defense bases and military sites. This marks a significant escalation in the nearly year-long exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah Fires 140 Rockets Into Israel Quick Looks
- Hezbollah launched 140 rockets at northern Israel, targeting air defense bases and an Israeli armored brigade headquarters.
- The attack follows Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s vow to retaliate for Israeli strikes on southern Lebanese villages.
- Israel’s military confirmed the barrage came in three waves, significantly escalating the near-daily cross-border fire.
- The ongoing exchanges began after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with Friday’s attack heavier than previous strikes.
- Nasrallah described recent Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices as a “severe blow” and promised continued retaliation.
- Fears are growing that the conflict may escalate into an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Deep Look:
In a significant escalation of hostilities, Hezbollah fired 140 rockets into northern Israel on Friday, striking multiple military targets and raising the stakes in the long-simmering conflict between the two sides. The Israeli military confirmed that the rockets were launched in three separate waves, targeting sites along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, a region that has seen near-daily exchanges of fire over the past year.
Hezbollah’s barrage came just one day after the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed to intensify attacks on Israel in retaliation for recent strikes that targeted the group’s communication devices. Nasrallah had labeled these strikes, which are widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, as a “severe blow” to Hezbollah’s operations. The two days of attacks, which hit Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies, killed 37 people and wounded over 3,000 in Lebanon, exacerbating tensions that now threaten to spiral into full-scale war.
Friday’s rocket barrage from Hezbollah targeted several sites, including Israeli air defense bases and, for the first time, the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade. According to Hezbollah, the strikes were in direct response to Israeli attacks on villages and civilian homes in southern Lebanon earlier this week. The militant group claimed that its rocket fire was a proportional retaliation, marking the latest in a series of tit-for-tat escalations that have kept the border region on edge since October 2023.
The Israeli military acknowledged the rocket strikes and stated that the country’s air defenses had responded to the barrage, although no immediate reports of casualties were provided. Israeli officials had previously warned that Hezbollah would face increasing retaliation for its continued aggression. Israel has also been moving troops to the northern border, bolstering its presence in preparation for a potential wider conflict with the powerful Lebanese group.
Hezbollah’s strikes mark a notable uptick in the intensity of the conflict, which has primarily consisted of smaller, intermittent exchanges of fire since October 8, 2023, a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted. The situation along the Lebanon-Israel border has become increasingly unstable as Hezbollah has fired rockets nearly daily in solidarity with Hamas, while Israel has responded with airstrikes on southern Lebanon and other military operations.
Nasrallah’s speech on Thursday was his first public address since the recent wave of attacks on Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure. During the speech, Nasrallah vowed that Hezbollah would continue to strike Israel as long as the war in Gaza persisted, reiterating his group’s support for Hamas in its ongoing fight against Israel. He also warned that Israeli civilians displaced from northern areas near the Lebanon border would not be able to return until Israel ended its military operations in Gaza.
The near-daily exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, combined with the group’s support for Hamas, have heightened fears that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional war. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned Hezbollah that its continued aggression would lead to significant retaliation. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Hezbollah would “pay an increasing price” for its actions, signaling that Israel may be preparing for a more substantial military response.
The rocket attacks come amid growing concerns that the 11-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is on the verge of intensifying. Although both sides have so far managed to avoid an all-out war, largely due to diplomatic efforts from the United States, France, and other international powers, the escalating violence suggests that the situation could soon deteriorate further.
For now, the focus remains on the border region, where tens of thousands of residents on both sides have been evacuated or displaced due to the ongoing hostilities. As Hezbollah continues its rocket fire, and Israel ramps up its military presence in the north, the likelihood of a larger, more destructive conflict looms ever closer.
