Politics
Lebanon: 500 Dead in Israel’s Largest Airstrike on Hezbollah Since Gaza War; UN Expresses Alarm | Key Updates
Lebanon: 500 Dead in Israel’s Largest Airstrike on Hezbollah Since Gaza War; UN Expresses Alarm | Key Updates
Things are really bad in southern Lebanon: nearly 500 people have died after Israel bombed the area heavily. This is the most intense attack there since the war in Gaza started on October 7. Overall, at least 1,650 individuals were hurt too, and among those who died, some were children or women.
By Tuesday evening local time, the country’s health ministry had confirmed the figures. In northern Israel, fighting along the border with Lebanon has turned into a daily event; militants fire barrages over the frontier, which sometimes result in Israeli artillery being fired in return.
Hezbollah says it acts out of solidarity with Gaza Palestinians under bombardment by their own country’s forces, an assertion supported by one analyst who argues that the group has always sought (when deemed necessary) to open new fronts during confrontations with Israel.
Last August, tensions rose after Israel killed Hezbollah’s senior commander, Fuad Shukr. They escalated again recently when Hezbollah attacked Israel with more than 100 rockets. Lebanon says these came following explosions targeting Hezbollah individuals that Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, carried out.
There are fears in Jerusalem that attempts to stop such assaults through talks are failing: officials now believe a large-scale conflict may be unavoidable if its northern border region is to be made safe for civilians wishing to return home.
Latest Updates on the Israel-Lebanon Conflict:
- The Israeli military is planning on escalating its aerial bombardment campaign against what they say are Hezbollah arms depots in the east and south of Lebanon. There have been suggestions from officials that there will be more emphasis placed upon degrading the military capabilities of Hezbollah; however, at this moment there is no plan for a ground invasion.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned his country to expect “complicated days” ahead, adding, “We do not wait; we are ahead of the threat.”
- In a direct appeal to the Lebanese people via video message, Mr. Netanyahu said civilians should leave areas being used by militants for their safety: “For too long, Hezbollah has used you as human shields, placing rockets in your homes. To protect our citizens, we must take out these threats.”.
- Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, has warned that Israel may be attempting to start a wider conflict in the Middle East and said his country does not want to be blamed for any resulting chaos: “We won’t be the reason for instability with all its consequences.”.
- Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, is deeply worried by the deteriorating situation and has criticized both sides for their actions. He called on everyone involved to solve things through discussions.
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- EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell warned that the conflict could lead to an “all-out war,” stating, “We are on the brink of a full-fledged war with increasing military strikes and rising casualties.”
- In response to the escalating tensions, the United States is working with allies to discuss “concrete ideas” to prevent the conflict from widening. President Biden stated that efforts are underway to de-escalate the situation in Lebanon.
