BEIRUT – Israeli warplanes have pounded southern Lebanese villages for a third straight day, reports in the Lebanese media said. The Israeli military reported it intercepted a missile launched from Lebanon after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv early Wednesday.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, air raids, strikes, and shelling targeted various towns in the south starting 5:00 a.m. local time, or 0200 GMT. Casualties have been reported from overnight wave strikes. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have fled their homes in search of safety away from fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military; some even crossed into Syria.
Thuraya Harb, a 41-year-old housewife of Bilal Bassam, explained: “We left with nothing but the clothes on our backs.” She makes it clear that it is the fear of her children which forced them to leave behind their home.
Background about the Conflict
Renewed hostilities follow an unprecedented attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7 that has started a major conflict in Gaza and drawn Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups from around the region into the fray. At least 558 deaths have been reported by the Lebanon officials due to Israeli strikes, which is making it the deadliest day since Lebanon’s civil war in 1990. Most of the victims belonged to unarmed civilians at home, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.Israeli Military Actions
The Israeli military confirmed that it intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon on Wednesday, a day when sirens sounded both in Tel Aviv and Netanya, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah rose amid a relentless barrage of rockets against Tel Aviv. According to the military, the missile was detected and destroyed before it could be damage-causing. In retaliation for firing hundreds of rockets into Israel, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 18 attacks on the country; however, the Israeli military said about 300 rockets were fired by the group.HezbollaI was assured the Israeli strikes killed its rocket forces commander, Ibrahim Kobeissi, in an attack on Beirut. An Israeli strike aimed at a “warehouse” in the Saadiyat area near the capital during the ongoing violence.
UN and International Responses
The United Nations Security Council has announced an emergency meeting to discuss the intensifying crisis. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed grave concerns about the situation and warned against Lebanon’s potential transformation into a conflict zone on the lines of Gaza.US President Joe Biden speaking at a UN meeting said a full-scale war should not erupt in Lebanon, pointing out that there should be still some diplomatic approach, no matter the level of escalation.
The foreign minister of Lebanon stated that nearly half a million people have been displaced due to the intensification of the military campaign by Israel, with many of them crossing into Syria to escape the violence.
Views by World leaders
Iran has been reluctant to publicly comment on the Israeli raids, though it condemned them in a statement by an Iranian political official, saying that the raids resulted in only material damage.
“The destruction of Lebanon caused by Israel should have been stopped some time ago.it is completely unacceptable that Lebanon alone should take up this hard responsibility,” declared [Politically official] Jamal Behmodar.Meanwhile, Britain started sending its military teams to Cyprus and was advising the British citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
Overview of Conflict in Gaza
Over 1,200 people have been reported dead in the conflict in Gaza, which broke out with the attack by Hamas on October 7. Reports from Hamas authorities indicate that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have recorded more than 41,000 deaths, many of whom are said to be civilians. The UN has called for an immediate intervention to avert more violence and other humanitarian crises that result from attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
They have been holding their position amidst increasing tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, as fire exchange made claims that the situation would escalate into a larger regional conflict.