Hezbollah’s leader pledged on Thursday to continue the group’s daily attacks on Israel in spite of the lethal defection of its members’ communication equipment this week. He also said that Israelis who were forced from their homes along the border with Lebanon due to fighting would not be allowed to return until the conflict in Gaza is over.
As Hassan Nasrallah spoke for the first time since the widespread bombing of targets in Lebanon and Syria, which he called a “severe blow” and for which he threatened to react, Hezbollah and Israel started new attacks across the border.
There are growing concerns that the two days of strikes on thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, which have been largely attributed to Israel, could lead to an increase in the 11 months of almost daily gunfire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah launched at least four strikes in northern Israel during Nasrallah’s address, and earlier in the day, two Israeli soldiers lost their lives in a strike. While Nasrallah was speaking and breaking the sound barrier, Israeli warplanes swooped low over Beirut, scattering birds and forcing residents inside houses and workplaces to hurriedly open windows to keep them from breaking.
against Thursday, Israel reportedly launched raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, hitting dozens of missile sites; however, it was not immediately apparent if any people were hurt.
Israeli officials have increased their threats of a possible wider military campaign against Hezbollah in recent weeks, claiming they are committed to putting an end to the group’s fire so that tens of thousands of Israelis can return to their homes close to the border.
In a Thursday briefing, the Israeli defense minister said Hezbollah would “pay an increasing price” as Israel seeks to make conditions near its border with Lebanon safe enough for residents to return.
Hezbollah has launched a series of attacks on Israeli military positions near the border, resulting in at least 37 deaths and 3,000 injuries. The attack was part of a months-long operation by Israel to target as many Hezbollah members as possible simultaneously, but civilians were also affected. Hezbollah is investigating the bombings and accuses Israel of intending to kill thousands of people at one time. Hezbollah will continue its barrages into northern Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues, vowing that Israel will not be able to bring its people back to the border region.
Hezbollah claims its near daily fire is a show of support for Hamas, and Israel’s 11-month-old war with Hamas in Gaza began after its militants led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Israel has responded to Hezbollah’s attacks with strikes in southern Lebanon and senior figures from the group in the capital Beirut. The exchanges have killed hundreds in Lebanon and dozens in Israel and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents on each side of the border.
Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly pulled back from an all-out war under heavy pressure from the United States, France, and other countries. However, Israeli leaders have said they are determined to change the status quo dramatically. Israel began moving more troops to its border with Lebanon on Wednesday as a precautionary measure, and plans have been drawn up for additional action against Hezbollah.
Lebanon is still reeling from the deadly device attacks of Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Lebanese Army locating and detonating suspicious pagers and communication devices. The attack is likely to severely disrupt Hezbollah’s internal communication as it scrambles to determine safe means to talk to each other.
(AP)
