Israel expands Lebanon offensive/ Hezbollah clashes in Lebanon/ Iran missile attack Israel/ Israeli airstrikes in Beirut/ Middle East conflict escalation/ Newslooks/ BEIRUT/ LEBANON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel has extended evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon, signaling a potential expansion of its ground offensive against Hezbollah militants. Recent Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,276 people across Lebanon, while ongoing conflict with Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas has raised concerns of a wider regional war.
Israel Extends Evacuation Warnings in Lebanon Amid Offensive: Quick Looks
- Expanded Evacuations: Israel has warned residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate areas north of the Litani River as the military escalates operations against Hezbollah militants.
- Israeli Strikes: Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed over 1,200 people, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians.
- Beirut Hit: A recent airstrike in central Beirut killed nine people, including Hezbollah-affiliated first responders.
- Gaza Escalation: Israel reported killing senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha in a strike on Gaza.
- Iran’s Role: Tensions escalate after Iran’s missile attack on Israel, fueling fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
Israel Extends Evacuation Warnings in Lebanon, Signaling Wider Conflict
Deep Look
Israel has expanded its ground offensive in Lebanon, urging people to evacuate regions north of the Litani River, beyond the U.N.-mandated buffer zone established after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The move indicates that the Israeli military may intensify its operations against Hezbollah, as the conflict shows signs of broadening beyond southern Lebanon.
Evacuation Orders Expand in Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military on Thursday extended its evacuation warnings, urging residents of Nabatieh and other communities in southern Lebanon to relocate. These areas, located north of the Litani River, were previously considered outside the active conflict zone. The Litani River marks the northern boundary of the U.N.-declared buffer zone established after the 2006 conflict, which both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating.
Israel’s ground operations in southern Lebanon began earlier this week and have already led to clashes with Hezbollah militants. At least eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in these engagements. The situation further escalated on Thursday as Israel prepared to retaliate for an Iranian missile attack.
Israeli Strikes Target First Responders in Lebanon
In addition to the military clashes, Israeli airstrikes have continued to target Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon. One strike on Thursday, near the village of Taybeh, hit a convoy of Lebanese Red Cross paramedics and Lebanese army soldiers as they evacuated wounded civilians. The attack wounded four paramedics and killed one Lebanese soldier, despite the convoy having coordinated its movements with U.N. peacekeepers.
In another strike, nine people were killed in an apartment in central Beirut, including seven Hezbollah-affiliated first responders. This strike, which occurred in a residential area near the United Nations headquarters and the Lebanese parliament, marked one of the rare instances where Israel targeted central Beirut.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency accused Israel of using phosphorous bombs during the Beirut strike, though there has been no immediate confirmation of this from Israeli officials. Israel has previously been accused of using such weapons in its military operations, including in southern Lebanon during the 2006 conflict.
Hezbollah Casualties and Hamas Leadership Targeted
The ongoing Israeli offensive in Lebanon has resulted in significant casualties. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 1,276 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since mid-September, with the death toll including Hezbollah fighters and civilians. Israeli strikes have targeted Hezbollah strongholds across the country, including areas in southern Beirut known for Hezbollah’s political and military presence.
Meanwhile, Israel has also continued its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. On Thursday, the Israeli military announced that it had killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha in an airstrike on an underground compound in northern Gaza. Mushtaha was a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, a key Hamas figure who helped plan the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Mushtaha’s death is seen as a significant blow to Hamas’s leadership.
Widening Conflict and Iran’s Role
The escalation in Lebanon is part of a broader conflict that began with Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which ignited renewed hostilities between Israel and various Iran-backed militant groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
On Tuesday, Iran launched its second missile attack on Israel this year in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other top commanders. Although the missile attack caused minimal damage, with only two people lightly wounded, it heightened fears of a wider regional war.
The Iranian attack followed Israel’s recent assassination of Nasrallah and a high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard general who was with him at the time. In response to the missile attack, both Israel and the United States have vowed to impose consequences on Iran, though the specifics of those measures remain unclear.
U.S. Involvement and International Concerns
The United States has positioned military assets in the region to support Israel amid growing concerns of a broader conflict involving multiple Iranian-backed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. These groups, which form part of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance, have launched numerous attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, further complicating efforts to de-escalate the situation.
G7 leaders have expressed strong concerns about the rising tensions in the Middle East, urging all parties to avoid actions that could spark a full-scale regional conflict. In a statement released on Wednesday, the G7 condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel and reiterated calls for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
The Road Ahead: Fears of Further Escalation
As Israel’s military operations intensify, fears of a larger war continue to grow. The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Lebanon and Gaza over the past year, with the conflict showing no signs of de-escalation. The extended evacuation orders in southern Lebanon indicate that Israel is preparing for a wider ground offensive against Hezbollah.
In the meantime, the international community is closely watching how the conflict unfolds, with potential ripple effects across the Middle East. While diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis are ongoing, the situation remains volatile, and the region appears poised on the brink of a wider war.
