Israel pressed its military campaign hard against Hezbollah, striking the group’s main stronghold in south Beirut and the city of Nabatiyeh with airstrikes on Wednesday. The move came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the calls for a ceasefire.
The bombardments of Nabatiyeh have caused major destruction; the Lebanese Health Ministry says five people died there, including the mayor, as a result of the bombardment of municipal buildings. This represents a major escalation in violence since Israel intensified its assault on Hezbollah positions at the end of September, crossing ground troops into Lebanon on September 30.
The continuing violence has so far killed at least 1,356 people in Lebanon, though many estimate that the actual toll is much higher. Hezbollah has struck Israel in low-intensity attacks since last October in support of Hamas following the Oct.
7 attacks that set off the worst round of violence in years in Gaza. With Hamas now weakened, Israel’s military attention has increasingly turned to Lebanon, vowing that tens of thousands of Israelis driven from their homes by Hezbollah’s barrage will be able to return safely.
However, Netanyahu recently repeated opposition to any unilateral cease-fire as ineffective in changing security. On the other side, Hezbollah Deputy Leader Naim Qassem underlined the need for a cease-fire, threatening to expand missile strikes against Israel.
The U.S. State Department criticized recent airstrikes by Israel in Beirut, calling for a rethink in military tactics. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to worsen amid severe aid restrictions, UNICEF warned. As tensions rose, Iran’s foreign minister threatened that there would be a “decisive response” if Israel launched an attack, further raising the geopolitical ante in the region.
