- On Saturday night, Hezbollah fired at least 10 missiles at northern towns and cities in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, the Times of Israel reports. It was the biggest attack of rockets by Hezbollah on Israeli territory since the conflict began in early October. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted most of the missiles, but a 60-year-old man suffered minor injuries from shrapnel.
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the missile attack and said its target was the Ramat David airbase, a key strategic location for the Israeli Air Force, located 50km from the Lebanese border.
- In response, Israeli jets launched several retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon. The IDF reported that its airstrikes hit at least 110 Hezbollah targets, including rocket launchers and operational facilities. The IDF claims it successfully disrupted Hezbollah’s preparations for further rocket launches.
- The IDF said their airstrikes on Saturday afternoon hit around 290 Hezbollah targets, including thousands of rocket launcher barrels, as part of their strategy to eliminate Hezbollah’s rocket-firing capabilities. These pre-emptive strikes were carried out to reduce Hezbollah’s ability to launch a large-scale attack on Israeli territory.
- The surge in Israeli airstrikes comes after earlier attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli military targets, including seven locations in northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The Israeli military said Hezbollah fired about 90 rockets at Israeli forces during these clashes.
- In addition to military targets, Israel carried out airstrikes on southern Beirut, killing senior Hezbollah commanders. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, 37 people were killed in the attack. Those killed included three children and seven women. Hezbollah has confirmed that the head of its elite Radwan Force, Ibrahim Aqeel, and other high-ranking commanders are among the dead.
- After the death of its commanders, Hezbollah vowed to take revenge. Another high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Ahmed Mahmoud Wahbi, was also killed in the same Israeli attack. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah condemned the attack as an act of war and promised to take revenge on Israel.
- The United Nations has expressed concern over the situation and called on all parties to exercise “maximum restraint.” Germany and other countries have urged an immediate de-escalation of tensions. International mediators, particularly the United States, are working to prevent the Israel-Hezbollah conflict from turning into a regional war.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an expansion of the country’s war objectives, including the return of northern Israeli residents who have been forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah attacks. Netanyahu said the military’s focus is on eliminating Hezbollah’s ability to threaten Israel’s northern borders, adding that the country’s actions speak for themselves.
- Amid the escalating conflict, the US State Department has issued an advisory to American citizens in Lebanon, urging them to leave the country while commercial flights are still available. The US had extended its travel advisory for Lebanon in July, after another Israeli strike in Beirut killed a Hezbollah commander.
