Israeli Forces Target Hezbollah Leadership as Attacks Intensify \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Hezbollah launched a significant rocket barrage into Israel on Tuesday, firing over 170 rockets toward northern Israel, including areas as far south as Haifa. In response, Israeli forces expanded their ground operations in southern Lebanon, killing a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike. The militant group’s acting leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, vowed to continue their attacks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Hezbollah’s leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah, had been decimated by Israeli strikes. The ongoing conflict has displaced millions and resulted in thousands of casualties in Lebanon and Gaza.
Hezbollah Intensifies Rocket Attacks: Quick Looks
- Hezbollah launched over 170 rockets into northern Israel, causing injuries and damage in Haifa and surrounding areas.
- Israel expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon and killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike.
- Acting Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Kassem vowed to continue military action against Israel, with no immediate plans for a cease-fire.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Hezbollah’s leadership significantly weakened, including the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah.
- Over 1,300 Lebanese have been killed, and more than a million displaced since the conflict escalated in mid-September.
Deep Look:
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to intensify as Hezbollah unleashed a barrage of over 170 rockets into northern Israel on Tuesday. Targeting cities as far south as Haifa, the rocket fire forced the Israeli government to urge residents north of the coastal city to limit outdoor activities and prompted the closure of additional schools. The latest round of attacks marks a significant escalation in the already volatile situation along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Hezbollah’s Rocket Barrage and Israel’s Military Response
The Israeli military reported that while most of the rockets launched from Lebanon were intercepted by the country’s missile defense system, a few landed near Haifa, causing minor damage to buildings and wounding a 70-year-old woman. As the rocket fire intensified, Israeli forces retaliated by expanding their ground operations in southern Lebanon. This marked a continuation of the broader military offensive that Israel has been conducting in the region, targeting Hezbollah positions and militant infrastructure.
According to the Israeli military, the airstrikes have been effective in eliminating Hezbollah’s military assets and personnel. In a major blow to Hezbollah’s leadership, Israeli forces claimed to have killed a senior commander in an airstrike in Beirut. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their operations have focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s militant network along the border, claiming to have killed hundreds of the group’s fighters and destroyed key infrastructure in recent weeks.
The airstrike that targeted Hezbollah’s leadership came amid a broader escalation of military activities by Israel in both southern Lebanon and Gaza. According to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, the Israeli army deployed additional ground troops to the southern Lebanese front, with a particular focus on expanding operations westward, although most military efforts remain concentrated along the border. Despite these advances, Hezbollah’s leadership remains defiant, with the group continuing to launch rocket barrages and threaten Israeli civilian areas.
Hezbollah Leadership Under Fire
Hezbollah’s acting leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, delivered a defiant video message from an undisclosed location on Tuesday, reaffirming the group’s commitment to the ongoing conflict and asserting that Hezbollah’s military capabilities remain intact, despite the recent Israeli airstrikes. Kassem acknowledged the loss of several top commanders in recent weeks, including Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s longtime leader, who was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.
In his address, Kassem reassured Hezbollah’s supporters that the group’s leadership structure remained functional, with new commanders already appointed to replace those killed in Israeli strikes. However, Kassem also admitted that naming a formal successor to Nasrallah has been difficult due to the ongoing war, although Hezbollah’s military operations continue without disruption. Hezbollah had previously designated Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin and head of the group’s political bureau, as the likely successor. However, since Nasrallah’s death, Safieddine has not made any public appearances or statements, leading to speculation about his status.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the ongoing conflict, declaring that Hezbollah is “weaker than it has been for many, many years.” Netanyahu claimed that Israeli airstrikes had successfully eliminated Nasrallah, his successor, and even the successor of his successor, though he did not provide specific names. The prime minister’s comments were aimed at demonstrating Israel’s ability to disrupt Hezbollah’s leadership and military operations, which have long been a source of concern for the Israeli government.
Expanding Ground Operations and Humanitarian Crisis
As Israeli forces ramped up ground operations in southern Lebanon, clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters intensified. The Israeli military stated that it had deployed a fourth division to the southern Lebanese front, broadening its operations and extending its reach into new areas west of its initial ground incursions. Despite these advancements, Israeli forces continue to focus on a relatively narrow strip along the border with Lebanon.
The situation in Lebanon remains dire. Since mid-September, more than 1,300 people have been killed in the conflict, and over a million have been displaced as Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling have devastated large parts of southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government has struggled to provide adequate shelter and assistance to the displaced population, many of whom are now living in overcrowded camps or makeshift shelters.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the conflict shows no signs of abating. On Tuesday, heavy fighting was reported in the northern part of the territory, where Israeli forces have focused their ground offensive. Entire neighborhoods in Gaza City and the surrounding areas have been reduced to rubble by weeks of Israeli airstrikes, and the region has largely been isolated by Israeli ground forces. Despite repeated calls for evacuation, hundreds of thousands of Gazans remain in the northern part of the enclave, enduring harsh conditions as Israeli forces continue their military campaign.
In addition to its military objectives, Israel has targeted critical civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including hospitals. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces had besieged the Kamal Adwan hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya, a key facility on the strip’s northern border. According to the ministry, Israeli forces opened fire on the hospital’s administrative offices and detained a medic who was attempting to transport a patient to another facility, despite coordination efforts with the military.
Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, described receiving direct threats from the Israeli military to evacuate all patients and staff, warning that failure to comply would expose them to grave danger. Despite these threats, Dr. Abu Safiya vowed to continue providing medical services, saying, “We are staying firm and will continue to provide services no matter what the cost.”
The Iran Factor and Regional Tensions
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has increasingly drawn in regional actors, most notably Iran, a longtime ally of both Hezbollah and Hamas. Last week, Iran launched a barrage of 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general who was killed in the same Israeli airstrike. The missile attack marked a significant escalation in the broader conflict, with Iran framing the attack as retaliation for the killing of its high-ranking military officials.
In the aftermath of the missile attack, Israel vowed to respond, although the specifics of its response remain unclear. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was scheduled to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington this week to discuss the situation, but the meeting was postponed. The Biden administration has publicly opposed any Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning that such an action could further destabilize the already volatile region.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical point, with local health authorities reporting that over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, women and children account for more than half of all fatalities, though the exact number of combatants among the dead remains unknown. The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with many now living in overcrowded shelters or exposed to danger as they remain in areas targeted by Israeli forces.
Despite the escalating violence, medical professionals in Gaza continue to provide critical care to those affected by the conflict. However, with hospitals under siege and vital supplies running low, the situation grows more desperate by the day.
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