On Tuesday, Lebanon’s Hezbollah group announced that it had targeted Israeli military positions in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, including an intelligence base. The militant group also claimed to have launched rockets at the Stella Maris naval base located in Haifa, a coastal city in northern Israel.
These attacks came after a night of heightened tension in Lebanon, where state media reported significant Israeli bombardment in and around southern Beirut. Local authorities indicated that four individuals, including a child, lost their lives due to strikes near Lebanon’s largest public hospital.
Specific Targets Identified
Hezbollah fighters executed a “salvo of rockets” aimed at the “Glilot base of the 8200 military intelligence unit,” according to a statement from the Iran-backed group. They also mentioned similar attacks on the base in Tel Aviv’s suburbs the previous night. On the same day, Hezbollah confirmed it had fired rockets at another position in the Tel Aviv suburbs, in addition to the assault on the naval base.
Israeli Military Response
In response to these developments, the Israeli military reported that, following air raid sirens in central Israel, approximately five projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon. The majority of these projectiles were intercepted, preventing potential casualties.
Additionally, the IDF stated that in the Upper Galilee area and the northern Golan Heights, around 15 projectiles were detected crossing from Lebanon, with some intercepted and others landing in open areas. As of the latest updates, the Israeli military indicated that it was not immediately aware of any casualties from these incidents.
Ongoing Bombardment and Casualties
The latest announcements from the Israeli army follow a continued offensive against Hezbollah positions across Lebanon. On Monday, the IDF reported striking about 300 targets linked to Hezbollah within a 24-hour period, including a financial firm believed to be associated with the group.
The conflict has severely impacted civilian life in Lebanon. A Lebanese security official reported that the country’s national airline had to switch landing strips late Monday after Israeli airstrikes occurred near Beirut’s only international airport, striking alarmingly close to the main runway.
Context of the Current Violence
Since September 23, when Israel escalated its air campaign against Hezbollah, the situation has deteriorated significantly. This increase in hostilities followed nearly a year of cross-border exchanges, with Hezbollah asserting that its actions were in support of Hamas, the Palestinian group engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza.
The toll of the ongoing violence has been staggering. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 2,467 people have died in the conflict over the past year, with more than half of these fatalities occurring since the escalation on September 23. This grim statistic underscores the severe humanitarian crisis resulting from the protracted conflict in the region.
