International Israel is already planning "next phases" in the fight against Hezbollah

Israel's most serious attacks in Lebanon for almost two decades are fueling fears of an uncontrollable escalation in the region.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, around 500 people have been killed in massive airstrikes, including dozens of children, and more than 1,600 have been injured. It is the highest number of casualties in southern Lebanon since the last war between Israel and the powerful Hezbollah militia in 2006.

Attacks targeted Hezbollah weapons depots

According to the Israeli military, it attacked around 1,600 targets in Lebanon on Monday - and continued the attacks on Tuesday night. According to Israel, the attacks, codenamed "Arrows of the North", targeted weapons depots belonging to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia, which Israel has attacked with around 9,000 rockets and drones since the beginning of October. Some of these caches were located in the private homes of civilians who had been called upon to flee to safety before the attacks.

Hezbollah, which practically acts as a state within a state in Lebanon, responded with heavy rocket attacks on Israeli territory. According to Israel's military, around 250 missiles were fired from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted by the missile defense system and some of which hit open ground. According to media reports, some of them reached much deeper into Israeli territory than ever before since the start of the Hezbollah attacks.

There were also strikes in the West Bank for the first time - at a similar distance from Lebanon as the greater Tel Aviv area. According to Hezbollah, it also targeted defense industry facilities near the port city of Haifa and military bases.

Netanyahu addresses the Lebanese people

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a message directly to the Lebanese people: "Israel's war is not with you, but with Hezbollah," he said. "Hezbollah has used you as human shields for too long." In order to defend Israel against Hezbollah attacks, the militia's weapons must be rendered harmless, Netanyahu said.

Panic broke out among the people in the south of Lebanon, with many fleeing towards Beirut or other places in the north of the country. There were long traffic jams on the roads and schools were turned into emergency shelters. There was "panic and chaos", eyewitnesses reported. Following the bombing in the south, Israel's air force also attacked positions in the Bekaa Valley in north-eastern Lebanon, according to security sources.

Following the airstrikes, the Israeli government declared a nationwide state of emergency in anticipation of retaliatory strikes. This also means that the size of gatherings can be restricted. During the night, rocket alarms were again triggered in many towns in northern Israel.

Israel claims to have destroyed tens of thousands of rockets

According to Defense Minister Joav Galant, tens of thousands of Hezbollah rockets were destroyed in the attacks in Lebanon. Before its attacks began on October 8, Hezbollah's arsenal of weapons was estimated at 150,000 rockets, drones and cruise missiles.

Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi explained that the military was attacking the infrastructure built up by Hezbollah over the past 20 years for its fight against Israel. His army is already preparing "the next phases" of the battle, he said, without giving details.

So far, Israel has been attacking Lebanon from the air and with artillery across the border. A ground offensive in the south of Lebanon would mean a further dangerous escalation of the conflict - and possibly draw other forces allied with Iran even deeper into the war. Israel's army has so far evaded questions about a possible troop invasion in Lebanon.

On October 7, 2023, terrorists from Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah, and other extremist groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and abducted around 250 others as hostages in the Gaza Strip. The unprecedented massacre triggered the Gaza War, since when Hezbollah has been attacking the neighboring Jewish state with rockets on an almost daily basis. Israel wants to push Hezbollah out of the border area again in order to guarantee the safety of its citizens in the north and to enable displaced persons to return.

Lebanon accuses Israel of "war of annihilation"

The Lebanese government accused Israel of "a war of annihilation in every sense of the word" in view of the attacks. "We as a government are working to stop this new war by Israel and prevent a descent into the unknown," said Acting Prime Minister Nadschib Mikati.

France's government requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council this week due to the escalation of the war. However, the most powerful body of the United Nations itself is only able to act to a limited extent due to political conflicts. The UN General Assembly's multi-day general debate also begins on Tuesday, and the Middle East conflict is likely to play an important role. Netanyahu is due to arrive in the second half of the week and is likely to deliver a combative speech - after all, many UN members are critical or even hostile towards Israel.

According to Israel's army, it also attacked a target in the south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, where Ibrahim Akil, a high-ranking military commander of the militia, was killed on Friday. According to unconfirmed Israeli media reports, the target of the new attack was Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki, who was responsible for the southern front and was supposed to replace Akil. Hezbollah announced after the attack that Karaki was in good health. According to the Israeli army, Karaki is one of the few Hezbollah leaders still alive on the military's "hit list".

Warnings to civilians before the attacks

The civilian population in Lebanon is said to have been warned of the new wave of attacks by automated phone calls and text messages. According to reports, calls were made to stay away from villages where Hezbollah weapons were stored until further notice. The Lebanese Ministry of Information described the action as "psychological warfare" by Israel.

Since the renewed escalation between Israel and Lebanon, around 150,000 people have had to leave their homes on both sides of the border. The war-like conflict has intensified again following the explosion of thousands of radio devices in Lebanon and an Israeli attack on the Hezbollah leadership near Beirut last week, which left more than 50 people dead. Israel's army once again stepped up its attacks in the neighboring country, which also left dozens dead and injured.

UN resolution not enforced

Israel and Hezbollah already waged war against each other in 1982 and 2006. The militia is much more heavily armed today than during the war almost 20 years ago. It claims to be acting in solidarity with Hamas, which is fighting against Israel in the Gaza Strip and is also supported by Iran.

Israel's military has recently reduced the number of its attacks in the Gaza Strip and is increasingly focusing on Hezbollah. The aim is to ensure that the militia withdraws behind the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the border - as stipulated by UN Resolution 1701, which marked the end of the war in 2006. According to the resolution, Hezbollah is not allowed to be present along the border. However, neither the UN observer mission nor the Lebanese army are enforcing this.

SDA