Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon Kill 10, Hezbollah Vows Retaliation
The recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in the death of 10 civilians, marking the deadliest day in over four months of cross-border exchanges. Lebanese state media reported on Thursday that the death toll had risen, while the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for the strikes. The airstrikes targeted the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, shortly after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier. The situation escalated further with additional Israeli strikes reported in south Lebanon on Thursday.
The Israeli military claims that the airstrikes were aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure and launch posts. However, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the escalation, stating, “At a time where we are insisting on calm and call all sides to not escalate, we find the Israeli enemy extending its aggression.”
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping force deployed along the Lebanon-Israel border, expressed concerns over the recent “exchanges of fire.” UNIFIL’s spokesman, Andrea Tenenti, urged all parties involved to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation. Tenenti emphasized that attacks targeting civilians are violations of international law and constitute war crimes.
One of the strikes in Nabatiyeh resulted in the collapse of a building, leading to the death of seven family members, including a child. However, a boy who was initially reported missing was later found alive under the rubble. Hussein Badir, a neighbor of the Berjawi family that was killed in the strike, expressed his grief and frustration, stating, “Nobody is doing anything to help us. It’s our right to defend ourselves in our country in Lebanon.” The strike brought back memories of previous Israeli bombardments during the 2006 war with Hezbollah and a 1996 offensive.
In another village called Souaneh, a woman and her two young children were killed. The Lebanese civilian death toll included six women and three children, while three Hezbollah fighters also lost their lives.
The initial attack that triggered this recent escalation occurred when fire from Lebanon struck the northern Israeli town of Safed, killing a female Israeli soldier and injuring eight others, all of whom were soldiers. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the strike in Safed but later announced that its fighters had attacked three Israeli posts along the border.
Senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Kaouk stated at an event in southern Lebanon that the militant group was prepared for the possibility of expanding the war. He declared that Hezbollah would meet “escalation with escalation, displacement with displacement, and destruction with destruction.”
These recent fatalities mark a significant escalation in the ongoing cross-border exchanges that began with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on October 7. The war initially started with a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is an ally of Hezbollah.
In response to the airstrikes, government institutions, schools, and Lebanese University were set to close on Thursday as a form of protest against the aggression.
The situation remains tense as both sides continue to exchange fire and make threats. The international community, including UNIFIL, has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further loss of life and damage. The world watches anxiously as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah unfolds, hoping for a peaceful resolution to this deadly cycle of violence.