Politics Israel launches massive attacks in Lebanon after shelling

Israel is massively increasing the military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon. In several waves of attacks, fighter jets bombed around 100 rocket launchers of the pro-Iranian militia, which were equipped with around 1,000 launchers, the Israeli military announced in the evening. The rocket launchers had been prepared for direct attacks on Israel. Lebanese security circles spoke of one of the most serious waves of Israeli attacks since the beginning of the mutual shelling in October.

The military action increases concerns about a possible Israeli ground offensive in the south of the neighboring country. The Jewish state wants to push Hezbollah, which denies Israel's right to exist, out of the border area again in order to guarantee the security of its citizens in the north.

Following the heavy airstrikes, the Israeli army called on residents of several communities and towns in northern Israel to stay close to air raid shelters. Civilians should also stay away from military training areas in the north over the weekend. The military will carry out "activities" there, and unauthorized persons' lives are in danger. "It is possible that shots and explosions will be heard in nearby villages," said an army statement.

Concerns about a possible ground offensive

The exact meaning of the order was initially unclear. There is concern in Lebanon that Israel could be preparing a ground offensive in the south of the country. In the event of such an operation, troops would have to be assembled in the north of Israel. The army will continue to weaken Hezbollah's infrastructure and capabilities in order to defend the state of Israel, the Israeli army added. According to the information, "terror infrastructure" and a Hezbollah weapons depot in southern Lebanon were also attacked.

Representatives of the Israeli military wanted to present plans for the northern front to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during security consultations in the evening, Israeli media reported. As the "Times of Israel" claims to have learned from military circles, the army wants to achieve the return to their homes of the tens of thousands of residents who have fled northern Israel, but without escalating the conflict with Hezbollah into a regional war. Israel recently declared the return of the residents to the north to be a war objective.

More deaths in mutual shelling

The extensive airstrikes followed heavy rocket fire from Lebanon on communities in northern Israel, as reported by the Times of Israel. Two Israeli soldiers were killed - a 20-year-old soldier and a 43-year-old reservist, according to the army. According to the newspaper report, the reservist was killed by a Hezbollah drone loaded with explosives, while the younger soldier died in a Hezbollah attack with two anti-tank missiles. Eight other soldiers were injured, it was reported.

During the mutual shelling, a speech by the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was broadcast on Lebanese television. In it, he referred to the deadly attacks on his militia's communications technology, accused Israel of attempted genocide and announced retaliation. "Within two days and within one minute a day, Israel has aimed to kill more than 5,000 people," he said. "This criminal act is tantamount to a declaration of war." At least 37 people were killed in the explosions of rigged pagers and handheld radios on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to authorities. Around 3,000 others were injured.

Hezbollah chief announces retaliation

Israel has not yet publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks. Not only Nasrallah, but also military and intelligence experts see Israel as the mastermind behind the explosions. "In the short term, this is an extraordinary tactical achievement," Eyal Pinko, a former Israeli intelligence officer, told the Wall Street Journal. "In the long term, it will not bring military or political success," he said.

Nasrallah announced that the shelling of northern Israel would continue. The "resistance in Lebanon" would not stop its attacks on Israel until the "aggression (by Israel) against Gaza" ceased, he said in his televised speech. Israel could only allow people to return to the north in safety once the war in the Gaza Strip had been stopped. According to Hezbollah, it is acting in solidarity with the Islamist Hamas in the coastal region. Both groups are supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leadership regards Israel as its arch-enemy.

Report: No agreement in sight in Gaza negotiations

The negotiations on an end to the Gaza war, in which the USA, Egypt and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas, have been going round in circles for months. Senior US officials have now admitted in private conversations that they no longer expect an agreement between Israel and Hamas during US President Joe Biden's term of office, which ends in January, the Wall Street Journal reported. "An agreement is not imminent," said one of the US officials. "I'm not sure it will ever happen."

Meanwhile, Israel wants to use military and diplomatic pressure to ensure that the shelling of the north stops and that Hezbollah withdraws behind the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border - as stipulated by a UN resolution. After that, around 60,000 people who had to flee from the region on the border with Lebanon to other parts of the country will be able to return to their homes and apartments. Israel's Defense Minister Joav Galant announced that Israel would continue its attacks on Hezbollah. "The series of our military operations will continue," he said. "Over time, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price."

The almost daily mutual shelling has developed into a low-threshold war. According to official figures, around 600 people have already been killed in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah members. According to official figures, 48 people have died in Israel as a result of attacks by the pro-Iranian militia, including soldiers, but also many civilians.

SDA