After an unprecedented week in decades of confrontation, this Monday Israel and Hizbul will be the protagonists the most intense day since the 2006 war. At least according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health 274 people died and there are more than 400 wounded, in the heaviest Israeli bombings against Hizbullah since the 2006 war.
A security source said a «selective attack» was also carried out in Beirut, aimed at Ali Karaki, a senior militia leader. It is not known whether he is alive or dead. The Israeli military confirmed the attack but not the target.
The United States has announced it will send more troops to the Middle East due to the escalation of the Israel-Hizbul conflict in Lebanon, Reuters reports.
Twenty-four hours after Hizbull fired 150 shells, missiles and drones at Israel, the Israeli army attacked this Monday 800 militia targets who in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley area in the east of the country: «Among the targets attacked were buildings where Hizbul hid rockets, missiles, shuttles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other terrorist infrastructure,» the army said in a statement.
HizbullFor its part, the previous day it claimed responsibility for dozens of shells fired against northern Israel, most of which were intercepted by defensive batteries.
The day, which marks another important turning point in climbingstarted with him Israel’s appeal to residents of Lebanese cities near the border. «For your safety and protection, stay away immediately from the houses and buildings where Hizbul hides missiles and shells and tries to shoot at Israeli citizens,» the military spokesman said, Daniel HagariIn the first such warning since the start of the largest armed clash since the 2006 war, he assured in the afternoon that «the second explosions at the attacked targets were due to the terrorists’ arsenal that was inside the buildings.»
«Israel’s persistent aggression against Lebanon is a war of extermination «In every respect, a plan of destruction that seeks to pulverize Lebanese cities and towns,» denounced Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who sent a message to the UN and «influential countries» to «discourage aggression.»
An armed Israeli fighter jet is seen from Hadera crossing northern Israel.AP
Following Israeli calls on social media and mobile phone messages for residents in the south and the Bekaa Valley to leave before the attacks, Hagari accused the Proiran militia of converting villages in the south of the country. Lebanon in a «war zone,» denouncing a specific case in which he had hidden a Russian-made cruise missile in a house and whose launch was foiled. Israel fears the use of this type of weapon because of their greater range (up to 200 kilometers) and explosive charge (up to 300 kilograms), which give it the ability to cause more damage than the nearly 9,000 missiles, projectiles and drones launched by Hizbul since October 8 decided to open the front of support for Hamas and the people of Gaza.
Hagari’s message was addressed to the Lebanese, but also to the Israelis (expecting an increase in the number and distance of Hizbul attacks) and to the international community (an attempt at legitimacy).
«Over the past 20 years, Hizbul has militarized civilian infrastructure hiding drones, bullets, cruise missiles in Lebanese homes. We are working precisely to reduce these threats because otherwise they will end up hitting our cities and communities,” Israeli military sources said shortly before more air strikes took place. According to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, military actions will continue “until all the objectives that began with the safe return of Israeli residents evacuated from their homes in the north of the country” following the attacks by Hassan Nasral’s group are achieved.
While the number of Israeli citizens evacuated today from this area near the Lebanese border stands at around 65,000, it is estimated that around 110,000 Lebanese have left their homes in the south of the country. Caravans of Lebanese from the south were seen heading towards the Beirut area on Monday.
Columns of smoke in southern Lebanon at sites bombed by Israel in an image from this Monday.AFP
From Hizbul-linked channels on Telegram, residents were asked to ignore Israel’s calls, assuring that this was an attempt to create panic and decipher the exact location of the weapons.
The Israeli goal, according to local analysts, is to force Nasral to cease the attacks and thus disengage from the offensive in Gaza. From the beginning of his attacks, in the aftermath of Hamas’s armed infiltration into southern Israel, the Hizbul leader reiterated that he would keep his enemy’s «front of attrition» open until «the war and aggression in Gaza cease.»
A position that the pro-Iranian militia maintains despite the death of over 500 of its soldiers in Israeli attacks over the past year, the unprecedented blows inflicted by the enemy in recent days (the practical beheading of the leaders of the Radwan Force led by Ibrahim Akil and the explosions against thousands of soldiers’ explosive devices) and fears in Lebanon of a new war, more devastating than the one in 2006.
The same analysts are asking the Government to take advantage of the situation to critically strike the infrastructure (especially near the border) of the powerful armed group which, after the latest attacks, is perhaps going through the most difficult time since its creation in 1982.
