Israel’s operations on multiple fronts continue unabated. Shortly after midnight a series of huge explosions rocked Dahiya, the densely populated area south of Beirut.
The shock waves were heard across the Lebanese capital, shaking buildings and could be felt at least 15 miles away. It was one of the heaviest bombings in the region since the war began last October, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.
🚨🇮🇱🇱🇧 BREAKING: ISRAELI AIR FORCE LAUNCHES HEAVY AIRSTRIKES ON SOUTHERN BEIRUT
Intense Israeli airstrikes hit the Dahieh suburb of Southern Beirut, with several high-rise buildings reportedly collapsing in the last hour.pic.twitter.com/RWdv5FhWkz https://t.co/R8XZEELwUV
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 3, 2024
It is worth noting that despite the great blows it has received, Hezbollah is still resisting. According to the IDF at least 200 rockets from Lebanon were fired during Thursday aimed at Israel.
The commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades is dead
A little earlier there had been an attack on the Tulkarem camp. From this at least 16 people were killed and several were injured, according to an account of the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades commander Raith Radwan was among those killed in the Tulkarem airstrike, according to Palestinian reports pic.twitter.com/uTieG87aQm
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 3, 2024
The Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation in Tulkarem, without going into further details. However, according to what has become known among the victims was also Raith Radwan. He is the commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
Of course, this particular attack has another peculiarity. This is a rare strike by Israel in the West Bank since it was carried out by an air strike and not by ground forces.
Struggle over retaliation in Iran
At the same time, there is great anxiety over how Netanyahu will choose to respond to Iran. “Israel has many options regarding retaliation for Iran’s recent missile attack against the country,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations told CNN today.
“We have a wealth of options … so it’s up to us to decide where and when we want to strike. They are vulnerable and they know it,” Danny Danon told CNN.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense confirmed that discussions are underway between US and Israeli officials about possible Israeli retaliation for the missile attack it received from Iran, without going into details.
“Of course, we’re talking to them about their reaction and what that might be, but I’m not going to speculate. However, we are still in contact,” said Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman.
The data on Israel’s response
With the help of US satellite intelligence and Mossad (Israel’s overseas spy agency) agents on Iranian soil, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have a wide range of options, according to the BBC.
- Conventional military forces: A first target will be the bases from which Iran launched these ballistic missiles. So that means launch pads, command and control centers, supply tanks and storage depots. It could go further and hit IRGC-owned bases, as well as air defenses and other missile arrays. He may even try to assassinate key people involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program.
- The economy: An economic attack would include targets such as Iran’s most vulnerable assets, namely its petrochemical plants, energy facilities and possibly its shipping interests. Such a move, however, would further damage Israel’s popularity as it would affect the lives of civilians more than the military forces.
- Nuclear: This is the big issue for Israel. A fact confirmed by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is that Iran is enriching uranium to levels far higher than the 20% required for energy production. Israel, along with other countries, is concerned that Iran is seeking to reach a “tipping point” where it will be able to build a nuclear bomb in a short period of time.
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