Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 09:46 pm
Israel-Lebanon Border – Israel has conducted major airstrikes into Lebanon on Sunday, claiming to have destroyed “thousands” of Hezbollah rocket launchers and foiled a big attack by the militant group. In turn, Hezbollah said it successfully delivered a drone and rocket barrage against Israeli targets, one of the most intense exchanges of fire in the nearly two-year-old conflict.
Hezbollah’s Response
The Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah denied on Sunday that thousands of its rocket launchers were destroyed despite Israel’s claims to the contrary. For its part, the group issued a statement declaring its operation “successfully” completed: launching “a large number of drones” and “more than 320” Katyusha rockets. In his statement, the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah identified the main target as the Glilot military intelligence base near Tel Aviv, while the secondary target at Ein Shemer is a military airport.
Casualties and Damage
In the airstrikes by Israel on Hezbollah, an Israeli navy soldier died, while two other army soldiers were injured. The killing of two of its fighters was later reported by Hezbollah while one person was said to have been killed from the Amal movement. In Israel, during a rocket attack from the murderers of Hezbollah, residential houses in Acre suffered damage. Shrapnel from the attack shattered the windowpanes of homes and destroyed property.
Regional Impact and International Response
The surge in violence has raised fears of a wider regional conflict. Violence already disrupted air travel, with several airlines saying they will suspend flights to Tel Aviv. Yemen’s Huthi rebels, another Iran-backed group, praised Hezbollah’s actions and vowed its own retaliation.
The tensions keep piling up, and involvement from the United States-which provides the bulk of Israel’s military supplies-is ratcheting up, with a visit from General Charles Brown, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military, to Israel for consultations. Meanwhile, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi urged the UN Security Council to take decisive action against Israeli leadership.
Calls for Ceasefire and De-escalation
But as the conflict worsens, international calls for a ceasefire are growing louder. The leaders of Britain, Jordan, and Egypt have called for a move to stop the bloodshed. They said the answer lies in negotiations. Continuing Israel Air Strikes against Hezbollah-Hezbollah’s retaliation-would lead to a bigger conflict with huge repercussions on stability in the Middle East.
