Israel Concerns about further heavy attacks in Lebanon

Fueled by new Israeli air strikes, fear is growing among the population in Lebanon. The Lebanese authorities reported 23 more fatalities and around 100 more injured.

At the same time, the Israeli military declared that it had shot down a rocket fired by the Lebanese Hezbollah at Tel Aviv. It was the first time that the Iranian-backed militia had directly targeted the Israeli coastal metropolis.

According to the Israeli army, it is mobilizing two additional reserve brigades in the fight against Hezbollah. The aim is "operational missions in the northern area". The commander responsible for northern Israel, Ori Gordin, said that the country must be ready for a ground maneuver. This was interpreted as an indication of a possible imminent ground offensive in Lebanon, which has been the subject of increasing speculation since the intensified attacks on Hezbollah began in recent weeks. According to Hezbollah circles, the militia's fighters are "ready to confront any possible ground invasion".

Ghost towns, panic and a lot of solidarity in Lebanon

The intensive bombardments since the weekend, which have left hundreds dead, have mainly hit the south of Lebanon, but also the Bekaa Valley in the east. They have caused panic and despair in the small country on the Mediterranean. Some displaced people and residents of the affected areas in the south sought shelter on the beach - far away from potential targets in the hope of being safer there. Many villages near the Lebanese-Israeli border appeared to be deserted. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee as a result of the Israeli attacks since Monday.

Numerous Lebanese have shown solidarity: they have offered places to sleep and hotels have made rooms available to refugees free of charge. However, eyewitnesses also reported attempts to exploit the plight of the displaced people: Mattresses and electronic devices were sold at inflated prices.

Multiple displacement

The conflict is hitting the already crisis-ridden country hard. Lebanon has been suffering from an economic crisis for years, which has also brought the healthcare system to the brink of collapse. In addition, the country has taken in around 1.5 million refugees since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. "We fled our country a few years ago, I am from Homs, and now we are on the streets and don't know where to go," lamented Mohammed, a Syrian refugee and father of six.

According to the UN, thousands of people are now even trying to flee the conflict to Syria. There are hundreds of cars with desperate people at the border. Many people are also arriving on foot, carrying their few belongings in boxes and suitcases. Some had been injured in the attacks. They had spent the night in the open and had been waiting for hours at the border crossing. In search of safety, the people had to flee within a region that could hardly offer them any protection, according to the UNHCR's German partner, the UN Refugee Agency.

Extensive rocket arsenal

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip almost a year ago, the Israeli-Lebanese border region has also been the scene of almost daily rocket fire. According to Hezbollah, the attacks are intended to support Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Following the massive Israeli bombardments of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since the weekend, there is now a threat of open war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel wants to weaken the militia to such an extent that it stops firing and Israelis can return to their residential areas in the north of the country.

Meanwhile, observers and ex-military personnel in Lebanon confirm the Israeli military's accusation that Hezbollah is hiding weapons in residential areas. "Hezbollah has no barracks or places to store its weapons because Israel will discover them," said Lebanese former army brigadier Wehbe Katisha, who was deployed in southern Lebanon. "That's why their main depots are located between houses and in mountainous areas close to homes." However, residents are often unaware of the weapons depots. Hezbollah had an estimated 150,000 rockets at its disposal before the start of the Gaza war.

Rocket alarm triggered in the center of Israel

The sirens were wailing in the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv early on Wednesday morning. According to a military spokesman, it was the first time ever that the Hezbollah militia had fired a rocket at Tel Aviv. This had been intercepted. The Shiite organization explained that the attack was aimed at the headquarters of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad in a suburb of Tel Aviv. The last time a missile alert was triggered in the metropolis was at the end of May, at that time due to an attack by Hamas.

Pope: Escalation in the Middle East must be stopped

Pope Francis called on the international community to take action. "I hope that the international community will do everything possible to stop this terrible escalation. It is unacceptable," said the head of the Catholic Church in his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square in Rome. He was saddened by the airstrikes of the past few days. Too many deaths and too much destruction have been caused in Lebanon.

Iran's religious leader: Hezbollah will not fall

Despite the killing of high-ranking Hezbollah commanders in recent days, Iran's religious leader sees no signs of the organization's defeat. "Without a doubt, it was a loss for Hezbollah, but it was not a loss that would bring Hezbollah down," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (85) at an event for veterans in Tehran.

Hezbollah has been Iran's most important ally in the Middle East for years. Observers consider it unlikely that Tehran would rush to its aid in the event of a war. Iran's new government under President Massud Peseshkian is struggling with a severe economic crisis and is seeking a rapprochement with the West.

SDA