Beirut: Wednesday- The conflict between Israelis and Hezbollah escalated on Wednesday as Israel expanded its airstrikes across Lebanon, while Hezbollah fired a ballistic missile toward Israel’s Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah attack on Mossad with missiles
Hezbullah has claimed to have launched a Qader 1 ballistic missile at the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency. This Lebanese resistance party accused the Israeli intelligence agency of carrying out a series of operations against leaders of Hezbollah, such as a recent incident where booby-trapped devices killed 39 members and injured 3,000 others.
Missile attack prompted air raid alarms throughout Tel Aviv and central Israel, though Israeli officials have kept mum about the number of casualties and damage.Casualties in Lebanon from Israeli Strikes
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said that 51 died and 223 more were injured because of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon. The strikes came to several areas, many new locations that include Jiyyeh, Bint Jbeil, Tebnin, and Ain Qana.Monday was the deadliest day in Lebanon since the country ended its civil war when over 550 people fell to Israel’s most deadly day of air raids. Bombs went off just days after that.
Hezbollah Support for Gaza
The Hezbollah missile strike is considered part of its promise to come to the aid of the Palestinian cause. The group said that it was acting in “defense of Lebanon and its people” while also showing solidarity with Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas. Since the war between Gaza and Israel began last October, the two groups have stepped up their attacks against each other.Israeli Retaliation in Northern Israel
Hezbollah fired heavy rocket barrages into northern Israel, with some 40 rockets fired on Wednesday morning. Air defences intercepted some of the rockets, while others fell in populated areas, causing damage. Thousands of Israelis have already evacuated from border towns as Israeli military forces remain on high alert.
Humanitarian Crisis in Lebanon The conflict has turned into a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon as nearly a million people have been displaced since airstrikes started. According to the International Organization for Migration, this past week alone, 90,530 people were displaced because of increasing hostilities.
Human Rights Watch also said that the attacks by Israel have put civilians at “grave risk” and has sought an international probe into the hostilities. Hospitals in Lebanon are increasingly being overwhelmed due to mounting casualties.
International Reactions The United States condemned Hezbollah’s missile strike but did not rule out the possibility of an internationally brokered diplomatic resolution to the burgeoning violence.
Pakistan travel advisory On Wednesday, the Pakistan Foreign Office issued a travel advisory in which it asked its nationals to avoid traveling to Lebanon. It also advised Pakistani residents in Lebanon to leave immediately, while commercial flights are still available.
No letup in the horizon, an escalating spate of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah looks inevitable, as both parties prepare for even more horrific battles. Hezbollah has boldly declared that it will continue to resist until Israel withdraws its military forces from Gaza. Meanwhile, international viewers increasingly fall into deepening alarm for the likelihood of an even wider regional war and the burgeoning humanitarian crisis.